Not One of Us
by GalaxyPegasus14
Summary: What if Doji was telling the truth? What if his claims were more than the claims of a madman trying to confound the minds of the world, to get them to come under his control? Set in the last few episodes of Shogun Steel. ZeRen, probably also EiMa and I'll probably find a way to slip some GinMado in there somehow, knowing me. Rated T for blood.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of "Not One of Us!" I don't have much to say other than that except enjoy!**

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><p>"I can't believe this."<p>

"Doji can't be telling the truth. We know Gingka better than that."

"Are you really sure that he wouldn't join the DNA, chief?"

Madoka turned to Maru with a slight smile on her worried face.

"Yes. The first time I saw Doji, Gingka entirely lost his cool and chased him off in anger. There's absolutely no way he would join them."

"Then why would Doji claim that he had, and how would he have his bey?!" Ren asked.

"I don't know. He must be in trouble." Tsubasa sighed.

Madoka nodded.

"I'll assume you're discussing what Doji has just kindly announced for us." Argo's voice said.

The entire group turned. Zero froze and held his breath in shock, his eyes the only ones to catch the figure shrouded in the shadows behind Argo. He instantly knew who it was, having seen the exact same form merely a few months before, the night before the Neo Battle Bladers final match.

"Alright, what have you done to Gingka?" Tsubasa demanded.

"You'd better not have hurt him!" Madoka said angrily.

"Oh no, he's perfectly fine." Selen said.

"Aren't you, Gingka?" Ian turned towards the back of the room.

The group standing in the WBBA headquarters gasped as the familiar redhead stepped slightly into the light, leaning against the wall calmly. His eyes flashed from the shadows that hid his face as he scanned the group, focusing for a split second on Zero before he looked at Argo, who narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded.

Gingka sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, crossing his arms and thinking deeply for a few seconds before he raised his head and looked at the ceiling.

"What Doji said… It's true. It's your choice whether or not to join DNA as well, but... I've made mine." he said, his voice deathly calm.

"No…" Madoka whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

"I think we've made our point now. The decision is yours, Tsubasa." Argo smirked as Gingka again closed his eyes, looking down at the ground.

Tsubasa growled as the connection cut off.

"He's out of his mind." Benkei said in disbelief.

Tsubasa growled and turned to the group of shocked young bladers behind him. He scanned over the group, noting each wide eye, each open mouth.

"Don't you guys dare switch sides. We'll work this out, there's got to be a solid reason why Gingka joined them, and it had better be good." he said sternly.

The young bladers nodded hesitantly, looking down at the ground in thought.

"Run off to Bey Park or something. We'll take care of this." Benkei said.

Zero nodded slowly and left.

Madoka sat down on the couch and ran her fingers through her hair, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why…?" she whispered.

"We have to get the others here." Tsubasa sighed.

"Others?" Benkei said quizzically, raising an eyebrow.

"The other Legendary Bladers." Tsubasa explained, looking down at his computer with narrowed eyes for a few moments before keying in a few commands.

"Ahh, Tsubasa. How's it going over there?" a female voice came through the speakers at Hikaru came onscreen.

"Fairly well, but we've got trouble. Are Ryo and Kenta there?" Tsubasa asked.

"Hang on, I'll get them." Hikaru disappeared for a few minutes before returning with a worried-looking Kenta and a frantic-looking Ryo.

"It's about Gingka, isn't it?" Ryo said, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"Unfortunately." Tsubasa replied.

"What's happened to him? We already know about Doji." Kenta said.

"We just got a call from the DNA. He was there. He said he had joined DNA." Tsubasa said.

Ryo's eyes widened. "No… He'd never do that!"

"Apparently he would. Kenta, we need you and the other Legendary Bladers to come here and try to convince him to come back, find out what's happened, anything."

"Got it."

"I'm coming too." Ryo looked down, narrowing his eyes.

"There's got to be something behind this, and we'll get to the bottom of it." Madoka said determinedly.

"We'll take the first flight to Metal Bey City we can get." Ryo said.

"Alright. See you soon then." Tsubasa said, ending the connection.

* * *

><p>"What do we do now?" Ren asked as she and the others left the WBBA headquarters.<p>

"I don't know." Zero muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking off down the street.

"I'm going home." Kite announced.

"Me too." Eight said.

"I don't suppose anyone wants to join me by the river for a battle?" Shinobu said halfheartedly.

Zero shook his head. "I can't." He whispered sorrowfully.

Ren put an arm around the Ifrit blader's shoulders. "Let's go to the river anyway."

Zero nodded and allowed the blonde to guide him off towards the sparkling ribbon flowing through the city.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked once they were seated by the river.

Zero sighed and laid down, tucking his arms behind his head and staring up at the sky.

"I'm fine." he said after a few moments.

"No, you're not. I can see it in your eyes." Ren said, laying down on her side next to him and resting her head in one hand.

Zero rolled onto his side and looked at her.

"I didn't think he would join them." He admitted.

"He's got to have a reason."

"Yeah. Maybe we're fighting on the wrong side."

"I don't think so."

"But how do we know? After all this time, fighting for the WBBA, for our bey spirits, were we wrong?"

"The Director doesn't seem to think so."

"I know… But after meeting Gingka that night, I'm confused. I mean, he gave me Ifrit all those years ago so that I could carry on and lead the new generation of beyblade, and he helped me by telling me just what I needed right when I needed it so that I could defeat Kira, and now…" Zero sighed and looked away from Ren, over the river.

"Now he's joined the DNA and you're wondering if you should again do as he does and says."

Zero nodded.

"Just be patient. I think we should stick to the WBBA and our bey spirits. Joining the DNA, well, it would mean we'd have to give up battling for fun."

Zero sighed and rolled over onto his back. "I guess you're right."

Ren sat up and looked over the river. "I hope I am." she said quietly.

* * *

><p>"You're kidding me."<p>

"Unfortunately, Kyoya, I'm not."

"Hagane's probably just pulling a prank. He'll show up soon enough with that crazy grin of his and tell you that, mark my words."

"But how would he get Doji and the Garcias to believe him if it was a prank? He was there, at the DNA headquarters. And, he was dead serious when he said he had joined the DNA." Tsubasa said.

Kyoya frowned. "Alright, fine. I'm on my way."

"Call any of the others you know. I don't have ways of reaching Dynamis, Titi, or Chris."

Kyoya nodded. "I can do that." he said before cutting the connection.

Tsubasa sighed and called Beylin Temple.

* * *

><p>The setting sun turned flowing white to blazing gold. A slight breeze created the appearance of tattered wings behind Gingka as he stood atop one of the towering pieces of the DNA building.<p>

"There you are."

The sound of the smug voice caused Gingka to turn slightly.

"As promised." Kira said, holding out Samurai Pegasus towards the redheaded blader.

Gingka took the silver and azure bey with a slight nod and placed it in his carrying case before turning back to look out over the barren landscape.

"You've been awfully quiet, considering how the Garcias always described you." Kira commented.

"I've changed in the last few years." Gingka said coldly, narrowing his eyes at the DNA blader. "You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all." Kira said smugly, turning and heading back inside.

"Just be sure that you are ready to use your power against your former friends." Kira said before disappearing into the hallway inside.

Gingka sighed and looked down at his hands. "Don't worry." he muttered. "I'm ready."

"How did you ever convince Hagane to actually join us?" Selen asked Argo as the two watched Gingka on the security cameras.

"Easily." Argo smirked, turning and striding down the hall.

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><p><strong>Tadaa! There's the first chapter for you guys.<strong>

**Gingka: I hate you.**

**Me: No you don't. Now go on, I stocked the emo corner with burgers.**

**Anyway, until next week, Galaxy out!**


	2. Freakshow

**Okay, before I start this chapter, I've got a sort-of announcement. Starting with this chapter and continuing throughout the story, I will be using song titles from Skillet's album Rise for chapter titles, because the songs go perfectly with a lot of my plot twists. So, without further ado, this chapter (And probably the next one) is titled "Freakshow." I suggest that you go listen to the songs while or after reading the chapters. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Ladies and gentlemen! Blader Gai here, with a major announcement! The WBBA has just announced a huge tournament that is open to bladers of all ages! And, the director of our own Metal Bey City WBBA, Tsubasa Otori, is teaming up with the director of the Tokyo WBBA, Ryo Hagane, to plan this tournament! Bladers old and new are sure to be participating! So, grab your launcher, ready your gear, and get ready to face:" Gai paused for a moment as the camera zoomed out to reveal several silhouetted figures. "The Legendary Bladers themselves! Nearly all of them are coming to Metal Bey City to participate in this one-of-a-kind tournament!"<p>

"So this is your plan?" Zero asked, surprised.

Tsubasa nodded. "Gingka may have joined the DNA, but he's the only one of our generation of bladers who was on our side that did. The other Legendary Bladers, as well as the old World Championship teams, are still on our side, and everyone needs to know that."

"Gingka's strength came from the bonds he had with his friends." Ryo spoke up. "Joining the DNA truly would mean that he would have to break those bonds entirely, depriving him of much of his strength."

"And beys don't lie. If this is some sort of joke, we'll know instantly." Kenta said.

"Huh?" Ren looked confused.

"Gingka and I always spoke better through our bey battles than vocally." Kenta explained. "If he's been threatened, and joined the DNA for some reason that he can't admit because they're watching him, he can tell us through battling. A tournament like this is sure to attract DNA attention, and if Gingka's fighting with them, he's sure to fight in a tournament like this."

"Unless they send Kira to do their dirty work and synchrom." Benkei pointed out.

"Let's hope they won't." Ryo said.

"Make synchroming against the rules. Not all of the older bladers have synchrom beys." Kyoya said.

"Geez, how come I didn't think of that?" Tsubasa sighed.

"We're all distracted because of the situation with Gingka. That's probably exactly what the DNA wanted." Hikaru spoke up.

Madoka sighed. "Why, Gingka…?"

"Hagane, get over here! We're leaving!"

Gingka groaned mentally as he strode down the hallway towards the DNA's helicopter landing pad.

"I'm coming!" he snapped.

"This tournament will be the one where we tear the WBBA to pieces and take over." Kira stated smugly as the helicopter took off.

"Especially with the Legendary Blader on our side. Nobody can stop us now." Baihu said confidently.

Gingka narrowed his eyes as he stared out the window.

"Right, Hagane?" Baihu said.

"Sure…" Gingka muttered halfheartedly.

_The absolute last thing I want to do right now is go into a tournament of this scale… But I have no choice._

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first round of this groundbreaking tournament! We have had hundreds of applications come in, and the number of spaces in the tournament itself were rapidly filled! Bladers from all over the world have come to compete!" Gai said to the cheering crowd, which quickly quieted down. "And now, coming out of his semi-retirement to help commentate on these battles, please welcome Blader DJ!"

The crowd cheered as the older announcer stepped into view.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I have commentated on many battles, many large tournaments, including the first World Championships itself, but this is one of the most exciting! Are you ready to see some amazing battles?!" DJ asked.

"The selection of opponents has been entirely randomized for this tournament! So, without further ado, let's find out what our first battle is!" Gai said as pictures of bladers flashed across the screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, some of these pictures may be older, but it looks like our first contestant is:" Guider paused for a moment as a picture flashed onscreen.

"None other than Chi Yun Li of Wang Hu Zhong!" DJ said.

"This blader, as the picture shows, has not shown up in any tournaments since before the infamous Nemesis Crisis!" Gai said.

"And speaking of the Nemesis Crisis, Chi Yun's opponent is very well-known for being heavily involved in the events of over seven years ago, as well as being the object of much speculation due to more recent claims by his old enemy." DJ said.

"No… He did come…" Madoka whispered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, he may have suddenly joined the DNA without any explanation as to why, but please give it up for the one and only Gingka Hagane!" DJ finished.

"Come on Chi Yun. You can take him." Da Xiang said, nodding encouragingly at his teammate as the Chinese blader stood.

"Don't worry, Chi Yun and Lacerta will get to the bottom of this situation."

Ryo and the others high up in their special seats watched tensely as Chi Yun took his position on one side of the older-style stadium and waited. They could see two shadowed figures standing just inside the hallway, talking. After a few moments, one stepped back and disappeared, and the other stepped into the light, tattered white fabric flowing behind him as golden-brown eyes flashed brilliantly in the stadium lights. Chi Yun narrowed his eyes.

"Chi Yun doesn't know what your game is, Gingka, but whatever has happened, it ends here."

"If only you could stop me." Gingka replied, his tone icy and voice forced as he raised his launcher.

"Three!" DJ and Gai began.

"Two!" Chi Yun sounded.

"One!" The crowd responded.

"Let it Rip!"

Madoka held her breath as only Chi Yun's voice was heard saying the famous words.

"Lacerta!" the Chinese blader called, attacking instantly.

Gingka's eyes flashed as he widened his stance and swept his arms to the side.

"Pegasus!" he cried as the armored winged horse rose out of the spinning silver and blue bey. A brilliant blue streak shot across the stadium, sending Lacerta flying effortlessly. A second blue bolt of flame shot into the air and struck a second time, then a third, fourth, and fifth. Gingka continued the onslaught for a full minute before the flames stopped and Pegasus landed neatly in the center of the stadium, Chi Yun dropping to his knees and collapsing into unconsciousness as Lacerta landed next to him.

The entire stadium was silent in shock for a few moments. Gingka was out of the stadium entirely before DJ and Gai recovered enough from their shock to announce him as the winner.

"He… Was ruthless…" Madoka whispered.

"He just destroyed Chi Yun…" Benkei gasped as the medical team arrived and carried the Chinese blader out on a stretcher.

"Gingka… Why?" Ryo muttered.

"Good job." Argo said as Gingka returned to the DNA's waiting room.

Gingka said nothing, only laid down with his face to the wall.

"Kira, you're up." Argo said.

"And our next match will be a rematch from Battle Bladers, Kira Hayama vs. Zero Kurogane!"

"Zero." Tsubasa said as the trembling younger blader turned to leave the room.

"Yeah?" Zero turned back.

"Show them that there are still those who stand against the DNA. You have to offset the shock caused by Gingka and Chi Yun's battle. We're counting on you." Tsubasa said sternly.

The frightened look in Zero's eyes turned into a look of determination. "Right. I'll show them." he said before turning and striding down the hallway.

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><p>"Kira won't win." Gingka said, turning around and looking at the screen.<p>

"Of course he will. He beat Zero the last time they battled."

"He had Pegasus that time as well. Zero can beat Bahamoote alone. Neo Battle Bladers proved that."

"Shut up, Hagane." Argo growled.

"I'm merely stating a well-known fact." Gingka snapped, standing and narrowing his eyes at the DNA executive.

"A fact that can and will be changed." Argo replied calmly, locking his gaze with Gingka's.

The younger bladers looked from one adult to the other as the tension in the room became nearly tangible. Gingka's eyes blazed angrily, while Argo's flashed evilly. The Legend bared his teeth slightly while the Evil smirked triumphantly.

"Remember the terms of our agreement." Argo said after a few minutes.

In an instant, the fire in Gingka's eyes disappeared as he turned away, striding to a far corner and sitting down with a resigned sigh. Argo smirked triumphantly.

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><p>"Are you ready, bladers?! Three!"<p>

"Two!" Zero shouted.

"One!"

"Let it Rip!"

"Go, Ifrit!"

"Bahamoote!"

"Kyahh!" Zero glowed orange as his bey shot around the stadium.

"Should we have switched it to the Zero-G stadium?" Madoka wondered.

"Perhaps, but a victory in this stadium will mean more for the WBBA." Tsubasa sighed.

"Because Zero can't use his special move, putting him at a bit of a disadvantage." Maru sighed.

"Bahamoote, Gladiator Demolition!"

"And Kira wastes no time in calling out his special move! This will be a fight to the finish!" Gai called.

"Dodge it, Ifrit!" Zero called, an undertone of uncertainty in his voice.

"Looks like someone is having trouble with his confidence. Do you really think you can still fight against the DNA, when we have the Legendary Blader himself on our side?" Kira taunted.

"You only have one of them! There's more than just Gingka!" Zero replied, narrowing his eyes.

"But the others will follow or be destroyed!" Kira laughed.

"Not if me and my friends have anything to say about it!" Zero shouted above the noise of Kira's laughing. The DNA blader stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes.

"You can't beat Hagane. Nobody can."

"Why that little-!" Kyoya growled.

"Relax, Kyoya. Your turn will come." Ryo said.

"We have each other, and our bey spirits! Nothing can stop that! Even Nemesis couldn't defeat those bonds!" Zero yelled.

Gingka smirked slightly at the wall, overhearing the Ifrit blader's words despite the fact that Baihu and Yoshio were arguing over who-cared-what.

"Ifrit, fly! There are no walls to stop you!" Zero cried.

"Don't let him escape!" Kira yelled.

Orange flames ignited in the stadium as a purple tornado tried to put them out. Ifrit soared, smashing through Bahamoote's special move and using the extra momentum to propel itself high into the air.

"Ifrit, Burning Tornado Uppercut!" The words rang in everyone's ears as Ifrit burst into view high above them, diving down in a ball of flames.

"Bahamoote! Gladiator Demolition!" Kira yelled.

"Too slow!" Zero grinned as a huge explosion rippled through the stadium. The four screens above the two bladers came loose and fell, crashing into the stadium and kicking up large amounts of dust and shattered glass.

"Yes! He got him!" Benkei cheered.

"I knew I should have prepped the stadium with an open roof." Tsubasa chuckled. "Now I'll have to pay for it, literally."

"I'm surprised that Gingka didn't blow it off." Ryo chuckled.

The entire room went silent, the memory of Gingka's recent battle still startlingly fresh in their minds.

"I'm going to see if Chi Yun is alright." Madoka said suddenly, leaving.

Zero panted, waiting for the dust to clear. Ifrit was still spinning, he knew that, but was Bahamoote? The entire stadium held their breaths as they waited to find out.

"You got lucky." Kira snarled as the dust finally cleared, revealing Bahamoote laying motionless in a pile of rubble, while Ifrit was still spinning strongly.

"Don't you dare say 'I told you so.'" Argo snarled at Gingka. The redhead merely smirked back.

"It would seem that Kira will need more training before he can beat Ifrit." Gingka said calmly.

"The next time they battle, he will beat Ifrit." Argo snarled, leaving.

"Yeah! You rock, Zero!" Maru cheered.

"Way to do it, knocking out Kira in the first round!" Ren called.

"That did it. That battle got everyone all fired up again." Ryo smiled.

"We just need you guys to keep that streak up, keep those burning spirits alive." Tsubasa said, looking at the group of younger bladers, who nodded solemnly.

"We will."


	3. Freakshow Pt 2: Insult to Injury

**Sorry for not updating, I was busy and I'm also doing NaNoWriMo this month, meaning my writing energy isn't focused as much on writing Fanfiction. Anyway, here's the third overall chapter, second to be titled with a Skillet song name! Without further ado, I give you: Freakshow Pt. 2: Insult to Injury.**

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><p>"I can't believe this." Ryo sighed, leaning against the wall and running his fingers through his blazing red hair.<p>

"Me neither." Madoka whispered, her eyes on a waving white scarf as it floated across the stadium and disappeared into a dark hallway.

Tsubasa ran his fingers through his silver hair and whistled. "Even another Legendary Blader didn't stand a chance."

"His power is enormous." Maru said nervously, looking at her screen. She looked up in surprise as a large hand reached over and snapped the laptop shut.

"We need to make sure he faces only his friends or other DNA bladers." Aguma said. "How many rounds will there be in this tournament?"

"A good twenty or so." Ryo sighed.

"There's got to be some way to take him out." Ren said. "Some loophole where you could just disqualify the DNA?" 

"That would cause an uproar and it would let the DNA think that we're afraid of them. Wouldn't look good." Kenta said.

"Our cause already isn't looking good, despite the fact that Kira's out." Ryo sighed.

"We don't have any way to make it look better other than you guys defeating the other DNA bladers." Tsubasa turned to the younger bladers, who nodded solemnly.

"That'll be hard to do after the shock of Titi being defeated so easily." Hikaru sighed, watching as an oxygen mask was placed over the nose of the pink-haired blader still laying on the stadium floor below.

Kyoya growled, punched the wall, and left, leaving behind a few tense bladers and a dent in the wall.

"Where is he going?" Shinobu wondered.

"I'll find out." Dynamis volunteered, following the Leone blader.

"Ren, you're up." Tsubasa said.

"Kyoya, wait!"

The fierce-looking greenette turned.

"What, Dynamis?"

"I know where you're going. Better if two of us go." Dynamis said, falling into step beside Kyoya as the Leone wielder kept walking.

"Let's get to the bottom of this." Kyoya growled, striding down the hall with his hands clenched into fists. Dynamis jogged after him.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Ren!" Zero called.<p>

"You can take him!" Maru encouraged.

"You and the DNA are going down, no matter who you have on your team!" Ren called.

Genjuro, standing across the stadium, smirked.

"Oh? You really think so? If I recall, you never were able to defeat me." Genjuro said. "And nobody can defeat Hagane. It's simply not possible."

"We'll see about that." Ren said.

* * *

><p>"Well, the facts here all point to Genjuro winning." Argo smirked. Gingka merely grunted disinterestedly, laying on a bench and facing the wall. Argo's smirk grew as he turned to look at the redhead.<p>

"Are you really that disinterested? I thought you liked cheering on your allies." Argo feigned disappointment.

"I thought you were a street rat who couldn't command a flea." Gingka replied boredly.

Argo shot a glare at the younger DNA bladers as they began snickering. The group instantly silenced.

"Your point is?" Argo snapped.

"People change." Gingka replied, getting up and striding to the door.

"Where are you going?" Argo growled, as Yoshio stepped over and blocked the doorway.

"To get something to drink and use the restroom." Gingka said, moving to push past Yoshio, who stood in the doorway like a brick wall.

"Baihu, go with him." Argo said.

Yoshio stepped aside as the young catlike blader followed Gingka out the door and off down the hallway.

"Don't try anything." Baihu said.

"Who said I was going to try anything?" Gingka narrowed his eyes down at the wild blader. "I told you guys I was just going to get a drink."

"Excuses excuses." Baihu said in a sing-song voice. "Mind what you say."

"You don't believe me." Gingka said.

"I know that you're not fully on our side." Baihu said.

"And what makes you think that?" Gingka asked, although a trace of fear flashed through his eyes for a split second.

"The facts." Baihu said. "Oh look, some of your friends. Could you have been planning this?"

Gingka froze and looked up. Kyoya was standing there, feet planted wide apart in a near-battle stance. His teeth were bared in anger as his eyes flashed brilliantly in the dim lights from the hallway. Dynamis stood a few feet behind him, his face calm and tranquil as usual.

"I didn't know they would be here." Gingka said calmly, clenching one hand into a fist and subconsciously sliding his feet apart slightly, his body automatically preparing for imminent battle.

"Hagane." Kyoya snarled, beginning to reach for his launcher.

In one swift movement, Baihu had raised his launcher, eyes gleaming excitedly. Dynamis placed a hand on Kyoya's shoulder, stopping the Leone blader with a silent signal. Gingka calmly put an arm between Baihu and Kyoya, glancing back and shaking his head sternly at the Byakko wielder.

"I'll take care of this." he said.

"Fine." Baihu huffed, taking a step back and lowering his launcher.

"Kyoya, now is not the time." Gingka said.

"What, are you scared?" Kyoya growled.

"We're in an enclosed hallway. You know we can't have a proper battle here without interference." Gingka said.

Kyoya growled and raised his launcher. "Then we'll go outside."

"No." Gingka said firmly.

"Kyoya, calm down." Dynamis said, stepping in front of the Leone blader and locking eyes with Gingka.

Experimentally, the Jupiter blader stepped forwards a few feet. As Dynamis advanced, Gingka slowly backed up.

"Now is not the time to battle." Gingka said repeatedly.

"No, it's not. Later then. We will meet in the tournament." Dynamis said calmly, turning and leaving, dragging Kyoya off with him.

"Yes." Gingka muttered, turning on one heel and heading off in the opposite direction, original objective forgotten as he strode back towards the rooms where the DNA was waiting. Baihu found himself trotting to keep up with the older blader's long strides.

Selen nearly jumped out of her skin as Gingka slammed the door open, stalked over to the corner, and sat down against the wall, closing his eyes and crossing his arms and ankles. Argo looked to a panting Baihu for an explanation.

"We met a couple of the other Legendary Bladers." Baihu chuckled. "It didn't go well."

"It went about how any of us might have expected." Gingka said quietly.

"And that is how?" Argo asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I turned down the battle request. Nothing more happened." Gingka replied without opening his eyes.

Argo glanced at Baihu, who nodded in confirmation.

* * *

><p>"Phoenix!" Ren called.<p>

"Go, Genbu!" Genjuro called. The two beys clashed fiercely in the center of the stadium, rocking the ground.

"You can do it, Ren!" Zero called.

"Don't give him an inch!" Eight cheered.

"I have to do it. I have to offset the shock caused by Gingka's battle with Titi. I only hope that I can." Ren thought, narrowing her eyes.

"Phoenix! Molten Wing!"

"Genbu! Rolling Shell Break!"

Everyone shielded their faces as an explosion occurred.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie!" DJ announced.

Everyone gasped at the sight of the two motionless beys laying on the ground. Argo narrowed his eyes and growled.

"She is stronger than we thought." Kira commented.

"That will soon be remedied." Argo growled, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that's all we have for round two today! We will see you tomorrow for an exciting round three!" DJ said.

Ren growled as she and Genjuro picked up their beys.

"Be sure that tomorrow I won't lose! I'll train tonight, and then you won't stand a chance!" she said.

"Yeah, yeah. If you even last until tomorrow." Genjuro said ominously before striding back into the opposite hallway, leaving Ren behind to ponder his words.

"If I even last…? Last through what? It's just a regular night tonight, there's not any battling or anything!"

"Ren! That was so close!" Zero's voice snapped the blonde out of her thoughts.

"Just a little bit more and you would have had him!" Maru exclaimed as the group reached their friend.

"You think so?" Ren smiled.

"Totally!" Zero said.

Ren giggled at the fire blader's enthusiasm. "Well then, I'll need some help training tonight!"

"Yeah!" Eight grinned.

* * *

><p>"Well, at least their spirits haven't dimmed." Ryo chuckled, watching the excited group of chattering bladers on the stadium floor.<p>

"I'd better help Ren train. How are we going to break this tie?"

"Have a three-way battle." Tsubasa said.

"Yes. That would mix it up enough to not risk another tie, although I'm sure Ren could win if she trains hard enough. The problem is, how much power could she gain just overnight?"

"You'd be surprised how quickly Benkei's training advances them." Madoka said.

"Yeah, overnight will increase her power enough to beat him, if he doesn't train just as hard as she does. Still, I think we should go with a three-way tomorrow." Hikaru said.

"Then it's decided." Ryo sighed.

* * *

><p>"Three!"<p>

"Two!"

"One!"

"Let it rip!"

"Go, Phoenix!"

"Don't let her get away, Ifrit!"

"Keep it up, Zero, Ren! You're doing great!" Maru encouraged.

"Kite, more pushups! You're not going to beat anyone with those flabby arms!" Benkei shouted.

Kite groaned as his arms gave out, his face slamming into the ground.

"Is this really necessary?" Ryo sweatdropped at the amount of pushups Benkei was having everyone do.

"It works." Tsubasa chuckled. "But they do usually end up collapsing by the end. As long as they get plenty of rest before tomorrow, they should be fine."

Ryo nodded. "It's great to see them so fired up. Speaking of rest, however, we should get some ourselves. It's already getting late."

Tsubasa nodded. "Yes. Benkei will keep an eye on them for another hour before he also goes home."

The two directors then left, turning away from the group that Benkei was yelling at and leaving them to finish training.

"I'm going to go home now." Benkei said, spotting Tsubasa and Ryo leaving.

"Aww. But we're not finished battling yet!" Zero and Ren exclaimed.

Benkei chuckled and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by an explosion and a blinding light that came from the center of Ren and Zero's battle. Both bladers screamed in pain as they were sent flying backwards. The others doing pushups around yelped as they were flung back, tumbling for a few feet before stopping.

Benkei groaned and picked himself up off the ground, wincing and rubbing his back.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked, looking around through settling dust. Two streaks of bright blue light flew off into a dark alleyway before disappearing. Benkei turned towards the shadows and narrowed his eyes, barely able to make out two figures in the darkness. A groan from Eight turned his attention back to the younger bladers scattered around the area, but not before his deep brown eyes caught the swishing motion of a tattered, white scarf.

"Gingka…" He growled under his breath before running to help Eight up as Tsubasa and Ryo returned, having heard the explosion.

"What happened here?!" Ryo exclaimed, looking around at the devastation and holding out a hand to help Kite up.

"Gingka…" Benkei whispered sorrowfully as he handed a dizzy Eight to a panicking Kite.

Ryo froze. "No…" he whispered. "Where?! Which way did he go?!"

Benkei pointed in the direction of the alley as he ran over to an unconscious Zero. Ryo ran off towards the darkness.

"Zero, can you hear me?" Benkei asked, lifting the Ifrit blader slightly. Zero moaned, hanging limply in Benkei's arms.

"Why, Gingka…?" Benkei growled, as he heard the sound of ambulances approaching in the distance.

* * *

><p>"Gingka, stop!" Ryo called as he ran after the fluttering scarf in the alley.<p>

"We're not going to face him?" Baihu queried as he and Gingka ran.

"No. We've fulfilled our orders. There's no need to battle him." Gingka replied, panting slightly as he darted around a corner and scrambled up a fire escape. Baihu followed, using his bey to destroy the ladder so that Ryo could not follow.

"Let's at least see what he wants." Baihu said as Gingka began climbing the next ladder. The redhead sighed and pressed his forehead to the cold metal rung, closing his eyes.

"Fine." He agreed after a few seconds. "We'll see what he wants."

Baihu grinned maliciously as Gingka stepped back onto the platform with him, turning just in time as Ryo came around the corner and froze.

"Good evening Mr. Hagane. Taking a late night stroll?" Baihu asked, a slight purr in his voice.

"Don't play innocent with me." Ryo said, his eyes focused on his son.

"I'm not playing anything. You're the one playing. You all are. You're all playing the DNA's little games while we take over." Baihu said.

"I don't know what games you're talking about." Ryo growled, clenching a fist.

Baihu frowned. "Too bad. You'll all find out soon enough."

"Gingka, what is this all about?" Ryo asked, turning his full attention to the taller blader, who merely avoided eye contact.

"I'm just obeying orders." Gingka said slowly after a few moments of silence.

"And by doing so you're going against everything you've ever done. What happened to blader's spirit, to standing together and using the bonds between friends to grow stronger? What happened to fighting against those who used their powers for evil? What happened to everything I taught you?!" Ryo was nearly shouting by now.

Gingka merely stood there, rigid, hands clenched into fists at his side.

"By going against all of that, you're no better than the Face Hunters were years ago, when they beat up kids just to get more points. That's what you're doing Gingka, and anyone who does that… Is no son of mine." Ryo snapped, glaring angrily up at Gingka. The blader instantly tensed incredibly.

"You're tearing down everything you worked so hard to build. I hope you're happy." Ryo finished, turning away. "Come back and tell me if you find my actual son." he walked off, leaving behind a surprised-looking Baihu and a tense Gingka.

"Well, that was interesting." Baihu purred. "I thought he was going to try to convince you to come back to their side."

"Apparently not." Gingka whispered, turning and continuing up the fire escape to the roof, where he and Baihu disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Duun duun duuuuun! XD That's all I have. See you next chapter!<strong>


	4. Break Me Down

**I'm back! Sorry for the wait, I was busy spending my writing time on NaNoWriMo and barely worked on this story at all. Anyway, I'm back, and will hopefully be back to my usual schedule of updating. The song for this chapter is "Break Me Down" by Red. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>They were cheering, but he couldn't hear them. All he could hear were those words, those haunting, painful words. He had never asked for this, but, as he stepped up to the stadium for the third time, he supposed that he deserved it. This was his punishment, his payment for what he had done. Perhaps he should have fought harder, have tried more, but now there was only one thing he could do. He could only brace himself and take it as it came.<p>

With every battle, he broke a bond. The invisible strings that had connected him to the others were breaking one by one. He hid it well, even from those who knew him best, but he could never hide the truth from those that were causing all of this. He knew that they were watching, listening with some sort of sick pleasure to every snap, every quiver of his being. Only one question rose in his mind now.

_"What will I have to break next?"_

In that instant, he decided that he just wanted this to end. Yet he was entirely powerless to end it. No matter what choice he made, somebody would die. So who would it be? How long could he last? How long could any of them last?

"This ends here and now, Gingka."

Startled golden-brown orbs lifted from the ground only to meet with determined dark brown.

"I suppose it does… Kenta."

Kenta raised his launcher. "You probably know what I'm going to say, so I won't bother wasting my breath." He said.

Every fiber in Gingka's being cried out against him as he slowly moved into position.

"I wouldn't want you to bother then."

Kenta narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his launcher. "Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Let it rip!"

"Okay Kenta, time to find out what's really going on." The greenette muttered to himself.

"Sagittario!"

The attacks came, rapid even for Sagittario. Kenta had improved greatly, that much was obvious. However, Gingka was not going to stand still and take it any longer. Here the running began. Pegasus struck, then made a beeline for the other side of the stadium. Gingka narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering the word that that clash had brought into his mind.

_Why?_

That was what they all asked. No matter who or where or when, the first word was always why? Gingka's mind became so occupied with that one thought that he forgot about his surroundings entirely, until a sudden jolt of pain ripped through his being and snapped his attention back to the battle at hand.

"Pegasus!" Gingka barely managed to stammer out as he broke away from Sagittario's attacks.

Gingka's mind clouded as he struggled to maintain control of his silver and blue bey. He became frantic, struggling to maintain an outward sense of calm. Soon enough, Pegasus's attacks were reflecting the turmoil inside his golden-brown eyes clouded over, blocking his vision.

_Just end it… Just end it, now. How much longer..?_

"Pegasus, finish it!" Gingka called, too occupied with his own thoughts to realize what he was doing.

"Another falls, and another breaks." Argo cackled, watching on the screen as Kenta fell backwards, landing with a sickening thud.

"So that's why…" The greenette whispered, looking across the stadium as best he could at Gingka, who had fallen to his knees.

"Gingka…"

The redhead glanced up slightly, his eyes soft for a split second before they hardened as he stood and left the arena.

"I understand…" Kenta whispered before slipping into unconsciousness.

"We can't let him do this anymore." Tsubasa sighed. "I can't watch Gingka take down anyone else. Kyoya, I'm switching the tournament battle order. You're fighting him next, tomorrow."

Kyoya's turquoise eyes hardened in determination as he nodded solemnly, turning to leave.

"I-I'm going to the hospital to check on Zero and the others." Madoka whispered.

* * *

><p>"Good work, Hagane." Argo smirked as the redhead entered the room, his eyes dull.<p>

"If you can call it work…" Gingka muttered, sitting down against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Was it really that easy to do?" Argo sneered.

Gingka made no reply, turning his back to the DNA executive and curling up in the corner. He opened his eyes slightly, gazing at the wall. A single tear splashed onto the ground and he quickly swiped it away, not wanting to admit to the pain.

* * *

><p>"They're unfortunately disqualified due to injury." Benkei sighed, looking through the window at the group of younger bladers.<p>

"Zero and Ren both got concussions and a few fractured bones… The others just got head injuries." Madoka sighed worriedly.

"Everyone who's encountered Gingka since he joined the DNA has ended up the same way: comatose." Tsubasa growled angrily.

"This is like Ryuga and Battle Bladers all over again…" Ryo muttered under his breath.

"Did you ever catch Gingka last night?" Benkei asked.

Ryo nodded. "Yeah. And I told him something that he'll never forget, something that will hopefully bring him back to his senses."

"I'd like to have a word with him." Madoka muttered angrily.

"We all would…" Tsubasa sighed.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, due to Ren Kurenai being unable to battle today, Genjuro Kamegaki will be advancing to the next round as if he had won. Please enjoy the rest of the tournament." Guider announced. The crowd seemed shocked.<p>

"Let's see the WBBA explain that." Argo smirked.

"They know it was me." GIngka muttered.

"What?!" Argo whirled.

"It's not exactly subtle to cause an explosion." Gingka replied.

"His father gave him quite the lecture when he caught up to us." Baihu said gleefully.

"I see. Then they'd better not try anything, since they know it was our action." Argo growled.

"Admitting that Gingka did it to the world would be admitting that they know he's on our side." Selen said. "I don't think that their minds want to do that… Yet."

"Hence why we sent him." Ian said. "Plus, that action only proves to their minds that he is on our side."

"The WBBA can do nothing to stop our advancing in the tournament and winning it." Enzo snickered.

"You're forgetting something." Gingka said quietly.

"Are we now? And what, pray, might that be?" Argo asked sarcastically.

"A certain eight-year-old tie."

"All ties with your former friends must be broken. We have been over this, Hagane."

"Not that kind of tie." Gingka said, standing and locking gazes with Argo, who raised an eyebrow slightly at the sudden boldness of the redhead.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We hope you enjoyed the third round today, but before you leave, we have a special announcement about the fourth round, which you definitely won't want to miss!" Guider said from the TV before the camera swiveled to face DJ.

"Beyblade is known for its intense battles between friends and rivals. While we have seen some amazing and shocking battles already. the first match of the fourth round will be one that you do not want to miss! Perhaps the first names to come to the mind of anyone who hears the words 'ultimate rivalry,' tomorrow's first battle will be," DJ paused for a moment, flinging an arm dramatically at the screen behind him as two bladers appeared, "Gingka versus Kyoya! Will the eight-year tie continue, or will someone come out on top?! There's only one way to find out!"

"Oh… That tie." Selen whispered.

"You will defeat Kyoya Tategami, the same as the others." Argo said.

"And if I once again can't break the tie?" Gingka asked coolly.

"Then we'll decide what will happen." Argo replied calmly.

Gingka narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand shaking as he clenched it into a tight fist. Yet, no matter what he did, this was one battle that he could never win. However, he intended to fight as far as he could.

"Stand down." Argo said.

Gingka stiffened, indecision clouding his mind for a few moments. Should he obey and play it safe, landing and allowing his wings to be clipped further? Should he stretch his wings to their limit and strike back? Gingka's body became rigid as every muscle tensed, ready for action should action be needed.

"Stand down." Argo growled slowly, ominously.

Gingka remained motionless, as if frozen solid. His breathing was slow, concentrated.

"You know what we can and will do if you don't. Don't try my patience." Argo said menacingly.

Gingka held his breath, Argo's words hitting him like a brick and causing him to stagger backwards before he collapsed to the ground, panting. Argo smirked and turned away, ordering Yoshio to make sure that Gingka stayed in the room.

Gingka laid on the ground where he had fallen. Argo's words had merely been the first brick of many that were now crushing him, as the hopelessness of his situation settled in. The pressure on his mind was overwhelming. The redhead curled up into a tight ball, trying to focus his thoughts on something, anything to relieve the pain. He thought of Madoka, but then remembered that he couldn't reach her. He thought of Zero and the younger bladers, only to remember that he had been forced to harm them so that they wouldn't be a threat to the DNA. If the WBBA fell, it would be his fault.

The DNA bladers raised an eyebrow at Gingka as he laid on the ground, face hidden in his scarf as he panted and gasped for breath. The weight of the world was once again on his shoulders, but this time, there was nobody there to bear it with him, and it was crushing him bit by bit. The breaking point was approaching, and nobody could stop it.

Gingka raised his head slightly from his scarf as he heard muffled voices. The DNA bladers were whispering gleefully among themselves, probably talking about him. Gingka narrowed his eyes, his vision blurring slightly. He hated them, all of them. He wanted nothing more than for this torture to stop, for this to all be over. Their maniacal evil laughs rang eternally in his ears, causing him to panic. His breathing became frantic, as blackness clouded his vision and slowly took it over.

"Did he just faint?" Baihu asked suddenly, causing the eerie laughter from the others to stop as they all turned and looked at the redhead laying motionless on the ground.

Kira crossed his arms as Captain Arrow bent over and peered into Gingka's face, chuckling slightly at the unsteady breathing and the half-closed, glazed over eyes.

"He's out cold." the masked blader stated, stepping back.

"The stress of the last few days was too much for him, I suppose." Baihu said gleefully.

"He'll be fine. If he's not, it won't matter." Kira stated with a slight smirk.

"So will all who defy us end up."

* * *

><p><strong>So, I suppose all that needs to be said here is: Gingka vs. Kyoya in the next chapter! Until then, Galaxy out!<strong>


	5. Madness In Me

**I'm back with another chapter! Writing this made me hate Doji more than I did before, but I'm not changing it! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Moonlight. It streamed through the window, bathing the group of sleeping bladers around the room in a pale, cold light. One or two snickered maniacally in their sleep, evil grins flashing. One suddenly sat bolt upright, a cold sweat enveloping him as he shivered, dull eyes barely reflecting the light in the room.<p>

Gingka looked cautiously around, his body tense. He slowly got up, stepping lightly and trying to not wake anyone up as he headed for the door. He stumbled slightly, leaning against the door as it opened before moving down the hall.

"And where do you think you're going?" a deep voice said ominously.

Gingka froze. "Out. I need some fresh air." he replied without turning.

Yoshio stepped forwards, putting one of his large hands on Gingka's shoulder. The redhead tensed incredibly, knowing that Yoshio was physically stronger than he was.

"Don't try anything. You know what will happen if you do. You have until sunrise to return." Yoshio said, removing his hand and stepping back.

Gingka half-turned, looking over his shoulder in surprise at the younger blader.

"Go before I change my mind." Yoshio growled.

Gingka nodded and ran off, feeling the intense need to get out, to be in the open air, free from the DNA's watchful eyes and unrestricted. The very walls seemed to be closing in upon him in the darkness. He forced down the panic that rose in his chest. Instinct pulled him towards the farthest exit, and he followed it. His heart pounded in rhythm with his footsteps as he ran down the darkened hallways.

"Gingka?"

The redhead froze, every muscle becoming tense. He knew that voice, knew it all too well. After what had happened with his father the previous night, every bone in his body was screaming at him to run, to escape the next snapping bond before it lashed out and hit him. Yet, he was entirely powerless to move.

"After all these years of fighting against people like the DNA, why? Why would you betray us and join them?!" The voice was angry, sorrowful.

Gingka opened his mouth to reply, but found that he couldn't speak.

"Were you ever on our side? Was this all an act to get us to trust you so that you could hurt us? What do you even get out of this?!"

"Madoka, I…"

"You know what, I don't want to hear it. I thought you loved us, but you're no different than the Garcias, aren't you?!"

Gingka squeezed his eyes shut, a few tears falling. He was trembling now, but Madoka didn't seem to notice as she kept speaking, her voice cracking slightly as tears began falling.

"I loved you, Gingka… I really did… But now… I couldn't be more disappointed. I thought you were better than this. I… I hate you…" Madoka ran off.

As soon as Madoka's footsteps had faded into silence, Gingka continued walking, swiping tears away from his face.

_"When will this end…? I can't take it much longer, but I can't stop it. I'm too weak… Nobody is left now…"_

"Where are you going?" A gruff voice asked, as a sudden gust of wind knocked Gingka flat on his back.

"Kyoya… Wait…" Gingka gasped, trying to regain his breath.

"Why should I?" Kyoya growled.

"You don't understand." Gingka said quietly as he got up.

"I understand that you've betrayed us all." Kyoya growled.

"Kyoya, if you think that I have even the slightest bit of honor left as a fellow blader, then hear me out."

Kyoya crossed his arms, Leone spinning steadily in front of him.

"Fine then. Try and see if I'll believe you after what you've done. Kenta and everyone else you've fought or attacked is in the hospital, all because of you."

Gingka looked at the ground. "I know. You know, forget explaining. Instead, I've got a request."

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Kyoya growled, a light breeze blowing his bangs around.

Gingka clenched one hand into a tight fist. "Because I can't stop this!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow.

Gingka raised his head, barely daring to make eye contact with his rival, but doing it anyway. His eyes began to tear up as he continued.

"Because no matter what I do, someone gets hurt. This is going to end with someone dying, no matter which way it goes, and I can't stop it. I beat Nemesis, but I can't beat this."

Kyoya bared his teeth slightly. "You're the antagonist here, Gingka. This is all your fault."

"I know that!" Gingka snapped. "And I can't stop. I can't fight this battle. That's why I need you to do it. Our battle is tomorrow. I need you to…"

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the fourth round! Already, we've seen many heated battles, and now it's time to see who will move on to the semifinals!"<p>

"Hagane, wake up! Your match is about to start!" Argo yelled, grabbing the arm of the redhead and roughly jerking him into an upright position.

"Hmm…?" Gingka muttered sleepily as his eyes fluttered opened.

"Get out there or Tategami's going to win by forfeit!" Argo snarled.

Gingka caught his balance as the DNA executive released him. Argo raised an eyebrow in surprise at the determination shining in Gingka's golden-brown eyes.

"This ends today." the redhead said sternly as he stepped out the door and strode down the hallway, Baihu struggling to keep up with him as he walked.

"Oh no, this won't end for a very long time" Argo chuckled evilly.

"Little Gingka has reached the breaking point now." Doji's voice cackled from Argo's computer as the evil hologram appeared.

"What is the next step then?" Argo asked.

"Oh, he'll take care of it on his own. That look in his eyes says it all. He wants nothing more than for this to all end." Doji said, taking a sip of his electronic orange juice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, they barely need to be introduced at all! Please give it up for Gingka Hagane and Kyoya Tategami!" DJ said.

The crowd chanted Kyoya's name as the greenette stepped out and stood on one side of the stadium. However, as Gingka stepped out a few moments later, they fell dead silent, save for a few daring people who began booing. A fierce glare from Kyoya soon shut them up, but the damage had already been done. The last spark of spirit had faded from Gingka's eyes as he reached the stadium and silently raised his launcher, hands trembling ever so slightly. Much to the surprise of the crowd, none of the usual taunts were exchanged, as Kyoya also raised his launcher.

"I've never seen Kyoya look this serious… Not even when he was battling Gingka before," Madoka whispered.

"You talked to him last night, didn't you?" Tsubasa asked.

"Huh?" Madoka looked confused. "Kyoya was with us last-"

"That's not who I was referring to. You've been crying. You talked to Gingka, didn't you?" Tsubasa turned to her.

Madoka looked at the ground, nodding slightly.

"WHat did he say?" Ryo asked.

"Nothing. He remained silent."

"Because of the DNA bladers, I suppose. I haven't seen him further than five feet from one this entire time, except when he's battling." Benkei commented.

"No… He was alone." Madoka looked up, her eyes hardening. "But that doesn't matter. He's still on their side."

"Three!"

"We can only hope that Kyoya can bring him back to his senses or stop him." Tsubasa sighed, turning back to the battle at hand.

"Two!"

Madoka nodded.

"One!"

The crowd fell silent, but neither blader called out the immortal cry, shocking everyone. They merely launched, a determined look on their faces. The beys clashed in the center. Gingka narrowed his eyes.

_You're kidding me._

Pegasus leapt back and circled warily. Leone charged again, relentless.

_No, Kyoya. I'm dead serious._

Pegasus dodged, almost mechanically, as Leone swiped at it.

_I can't do it… I won't._

"Leone!" Kyoya roared, creating a tornado. Pegasus merely stood still.

_I need you to… Please._

Pegasus darted around the tornado as Leone fired. Gingka growled under his breath as the tornado vanished, his long bangs blowing in the leftover breeze.

"Are you still sure..?" the wind carried the question into Gingka's mind. He looked across the stadium at Kyoya and gave the greenette a slight nod. Kyoya shook his head and made another attack. Gingka allowed this one to make contact.

_"No. I won't do it."_

Gingka narrowed his eyes and finally made an attack.

"You have to." he muttered under his breath.

Kyoya shook his head, a tinge of sorrow shining in his blazing turquoise eyes.

Gingka narrowed his eyes and sent Pegasus on a crash course around the stadium, creating piles of rubble as he attacked not Leone, but the stadium itself.

"He's gone completely mad." Kira commented, watching as the stadium crumbled.

Pegasus clashed with Leone again.

"Do it." Gingka muttered. "End it."

Kyoya growled. "No!" He roared, creating a large tornado.

Gingka stood motionless, closing his eyes. A single tear fell as he attacked the tornado with all the power he had left. Granted, it wasn't much. The bonds with his friends that made him strong had been broken, all but one. And that one was strained to the limit, ready to break. Kyoya roared in anger and… Pain?

Everyone in the stadium shielded their faces as an explosion enveloped them all. Small rocks and pieces of debris flew through the air. Madoka screamed as the window in front of them shattered. Benkei and Tsubasa automatically shielded the mechanic from the flying glass. An unearthly, ear-splitting scream filled the air for a few moments before everything went silent.

Madoka and the others stood, shaking as they looked through the shattered window at the settling dust below them. Ryo had a stunned and concerned look on his face.

"What was that sound…?" Madoka asked.

Doji cackled evilly. The DNA bladers all stared at the screen in shock, the scream still ringing in their ears. Even Doji's maniacal laughter throughout the battle had not blocked it out.

"That was the sound of Hagane breaking!" Doji cackled gleefully.

"Wow…" was all Kira could say.

"But who won…?" Baihu asked.

"It had better be Hagane." Argo growled.

"It wasn't! But, oh, the victory is just too sweet!" Doji cackled.

"Leone!" A sudden gust of wind blew away all of the dust, revealing Kyoya still standing with a panicked look on his face.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd. Kyoya dropped to his knees, staring across the stadium in shock and disbelief. Debris was everywhere, laying in scattered piles. Some of it was spattered and streaked with red. Gingka was laying on the ground, face down. His clothing was partially torn, spattered with the same red as the debris around him. Only an occasional, shuddering breath showed that he was still alive, if only barely.

"K-Kyoya wins! But at what cost?" DJ asked.

"I told you… I told you I wouldn't do it…" Kyoya whispered, his bangs hiding his face as he stood, reaching out and grabbing something out of the debris before standing and looking towards Gingka once more. A sudden explosion erupted through the floor, hiding the redhead from view as Bahamoote and Golem appeared and roared. Kyoya growled and attacked with a barely-spinning Leone. The silver and green bey was flung back as the dust settled and the DNA beys disappeared, revealing a gaping hole in the floor where Gingka had been.

"What… What just happened?!" Maru asked.

"I-I don't know." Madoka muttered fearfully.

"Gingka…" Ryo suddenly turned and ran out of the room. Tsubasa watched for a moment as Kyoya leapt into the hole, then turned.

"Come on. Ryo will need help." He said, running after the Tokyo director.

"Hagane deserved it, after he betrayed us." Aguma growled.

"Did he? Did he really deserve that?" Yuki asked.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. The future may be able to be changed, but the past can't." Dynamis said, following after Tsubasa.

Aguma huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine then. Go find and help that traitor if you wish. I'm staying here."

"Aguma…" Yuki growled, then turned and ran after Dynamis.

* * *

><p><strong>So, the tie was broken, Gingka's injured, the DNA is up to something, and the breaking point has been reached. From here it only gets more intense. See you next chapter!<strong>


	6. Let it Burn: Circus For a Psycho

**Kenta: Hey, where did Galaxy go? She's supposed to be here to open her chapter, isn't she?**

**Madoka: She's over in the emo corner with Gingka because of her love-hate relationship with this chapter.**

**Kenta: Oh dear. I'd better stock the emo corner with more burgers then, huh?**

**Madoka: Already done. Anyway, here's the newest chapter. Uh... Enjoy, if you dare? Also, the title for this chapter is two song titles, rather than one. "Let it Burn" by Red, and "Circus for a Psycho" by Skillet. As Galaxy forgot to mention the last chapter title, chapter 5 was "Madness in Me" by Skillet.**

* * *

><p>Pain. It enveloped his being and clouded his mind. Nothing else seemed to exist. He couldn't even feel Pegasus's presence, which scared him to no small extent. He barely dared open his eyes, but when he did, he was greeted with the same empty darkness that was clouding his mind. He couldn't tell if he were standing, sitting, or laying down. All he knew was the pain, both in his mind and in his body. Both were the final results of his battle with Kyoya, a battle that had apparently not ended how he had wanted it to. Instinct told him to curl up in a ball, but as he tried to do so, he found that his wrists and ankles were restrained.<p>

"Well, look who finally woke up."

Doji's voice. As his vision finally cleared, Gingka found that he was in a blank white room. The harsh light hurt his eyes, as he groaned and half-closed them, trying to breathe and suddenly noticing the oxygen mask covering his face. The holographic image of his oldest enemy was standing over him, a gleeful grin across his face.

"Where… Are we?" Gingka groaned.

"Back at the DNA headquarters, of course. The last place you'll ever see." Doji said, grinning evilly and raising his glass of orange juice. "A toast to your excellent battle."

"So…. I was right…" Gingka muttered under his breath.

"Huh?" Doji narrowed his eyes.

Gingka looked up at the ceiling. "You weren't… Fooling me… I knew… That this would end… With my death…"

"But of course. However, I'm not going to kill you right away. That would just be too simple, too quick of a revenge. I want to savor it." Doji said. "You tried to escape this because you knew it was coming, but you can never truly escape me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gingka stated.

"Oh please. I know about last night and your delightful conversations with Madoka and Kyoya." Doji cackled. "You saw this coming and tried to get Kyoya to help you out of it, yet he didn't care enough to do it. So you see, those friendships are truly nothing in the end. All they've done now is harm you, break you. You have nothing left."

"Then why not just kill me?"

"All in good time, my dear Gingka. For now, let's just watch this light show that I've prepared, shall we?"

"What light sho-gahh!" GIngka convulsed and screamed in pain as electricity jolted through his body, intensifying the pain that was already present from his battle with Kyoya.

"That light show, of course!" Doji cackled as the electricity stopped flowing, leaving Gingka trembling in pain, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he struggled to regain his breath.

"I could have let you just suffocate from your injuries you know." Doji said.

"Then… Why… didn't you…?" Gingka gasped.

"Because then it would be over too quickly!" Doji exclaimed, sending another strong shock through Gingka's body.

* * *

><p>"We can't even find a trace of the DNA bladers." Yuki sighed.<p>

"Keep looking. We have to find him." Ryo panted, darting back and forth in the hallways and running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"It's no use." a tired-sounding voice said from behind them.

Dynamis turned. "Kyoya?"

"They took him with them and went back to their headquarters." Kyoya growled, punching the wall.

"It's not your fault." Dynamis said.

"Gingka may have broken up the stadium, but I created the tornado. I wasn't thinking clearly, and now he's injured and in enemy hands." Kyoya growled, staring at the ground with his bangs covering his face.

"He's their ally now, and I doubt they'd do anything to him. They need his power." Ryo sighed.

"His power will have decreased with every battle though." Dynamis said. "He has been breaking his bonds with us."

"Don't remind me." Ryo whispered.

"Why would he switch sides?" Yuki wondered.

"Quit judging him." Kyoya snarled.

"Huh?" THe others turned to him, raising their eyebrows.

"You don't even know half the story." Kyoya said as he turned and walked off.

"Kyoya, wait!" Yuki exclaimed, running after the greenette. "What's the other half?!"

"He knows... " Ryo whispered before also following.

Kyoya knows why. Why won't he tell us?

"Kyoya! You're up for battling!"

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semifinals! After that huge upset yesterday where Kyoya Tategami defeated Gingka Hagane, what will happen now, with this battle? I give you Kyoya Tategami versus Selen Garcia!"<p>

"This will be easy." Kyoya growled. "But don't think even for a second that I don't know what is going on. And don't think that I won't tell anyone."

"You couldn't possibly know what's going on." Selen said casually. "To know that, you would have to-"

"Talk to Hagane and have him tell me the truth. Unfortunately for you, that's exactly what happened." Kyoya snarled. Selen looked shocked, caught off guard.

"Kyoya… Talked to Gingka, and believed what he said?" Madoka said, surprised.

"They also battled. Kyoya would have known whether or not Gingka was telling the truth." Ryo said. "Beys don't lie. Kyoya knows something for sure, but he's not telling us."

"Let it rip!" the cry brought the group's attention back to the battle, as Kyoya instantly whipped up an angry tornado. Selen tried her usual distraction tactics, but Kyoya was too angry, too focused for her to even stand a chance. In mere seconds, Gasher had been thrown out of the stadium, and Selen was flung back. Kyoya caught Leone out of the air and strode off before anyone could react.

"We have to find him and ask him what's going on." Ryo said, running out.

"The younger bladers have woken up." Benkei reported, entering.

"How are they?" Madoka turned.

"All of them seem pretty freaked out. Zero's just staring blankly at his blankets and Ren's trembling." Benkei sighed.

"I see." Madoka sighed. "I'll go see them. Come on, Maru."

"Ahh! Wait up, Chief!" Maru exclaimed, following Madoka.

* * *

><p>Gingka groaned and slumped, panting, as the electrocution finally stopped. His entire body was trembling, sore from being rigid for so long. It seemed as if there wasn't one part of him that wasn't experiencing intense pain.<p>

"I'd ask if you've had enough yet, but the answer wouldn't affect what I'm going to do." Doji cackled.

Gingka growled under his breath, unable to reply. He felt weak, helpless. As much as the redhead hated to admit it, Doji had already won. Doji had won the minute Gingka agreed to join the DNA. The war had ended then and there, when Gingka had said yes to Doji's demands. Now, he was merely a pawn, weakened by the endless battle and struck down by the ones he had fought alongside for so long. It had all been Doji's plan from the beginning, and Gingka now realized that he had never stood a chance. He had realized early on that this battle would probably be his last. Now he was paying the price for his actions, for hurting those he had once called friends. He would die here, and nobody would even care. The thought hit Gingka like a freight train, taking his breath away completely and leaving him gasping for breath. His vision became clouded by tears that he had no power to stop, no ability to prevent.

Doji watched with an eerie grin as the redhead suffered, both mentally and physically. He had waited for years for this to come, the time when he could break and torture the blader who had thwarted his plans so many times. He could all too easily see the torment that Gingka was in, as the blader continued to break under the tight fist of Doji's plans. Nobody could stop him. He had already won. Those that Gingka had tried so hard to protect would be devastated and broken under the news of the redhead's horrific death, and Doji would finally win, would finally take control. He could already taste victory, and it was all too sweet.

A slight clicking noise was the only warning Gingka got before his wrists and ankles were suddenly released. He instantly collapsed with a groan, pain shooting through him as he hit the ground.

"You're in luck. Part two is not yet ready." Doji chuckled evilly, his holographic image kneeling down next to Gingka and peering into the redhead's face.

Gingka stared blankly at Doji, tears still slipping from his eyes no matter how hard he tried to stop. Of all the people to break down in front of, why did it have to be Doji? Why was he so weak? Not that he cared much anymore. He was going to die anyway.

"Was I ever truly strong at all..?"

Gingka allowed his eyes to flutter closed, knowing that he may never open them again. But he didn't care. The only thing he would likely see would be Doji's evil, triumphant smirk, and that would only add to his pain. Doji had won, but Gingka had given him the very thing he needed to win: Himself. Doji would have never won if Gingka hadn't joined the DNA, but Gingka hadn't had a choice. He had been forced to join the DNA, or face the consequences. Now he was facing the consequences of joining the DNA.

Gingka supposed he deserved this. After all, he had knocked Chi Yun, Titi, and Kenta out cold by battling them, and he had injured at least Zero and Ren, and probably the other younger bladers as well. All he knew was that they had all been disqualified from the tournament, and that they were in the hospital.

"Get up, Hagane." Doji said. "Get up and face me, if you even still can."

Gingka groaned and lifted his head slightly, half-opening his eyes. Doji smirked maniacally as the former hero closed his eyes and lowered his head back to the ground, acknowledging his defeat.

"I said get up!" Doji shouted, using one of his robotic legs to kick Gingka across the room. The blader bit back a cry of pain as he slammed into the wall, a sickening crack indicating that something had definitely broken.

"Are you really that weak? Come on, I thought that the so-called strongest blader in the world could at least give me a fight!" Doji said, throwing Gingka across the room again.

"Just stop this… Please…" Gingka whispered.

"I like you begging. Do it again." Doji demanded, lifting the redhead into the air and smirking at the blood dripping from his mouth.

Gingka fell silent, barely able to breathe with Doji's iron fist around him. Darkness clouded his vision as his airway was partially blocked by the blood he was coughing up. He was at his limit, both physically and mentally, and the only thing keeping him from going insane was his stubbornness. He didn't plan on letting Doji have the satisfaction of listening to him beg for mercy. Therefore, Gingka kept his mouth as closed as he could, which was difficult considering that it kept filling with blood that he continually had to expel.

Angered at the redhead's silence, Doji flung him into the air. Gingka hit the ceiling with a groan before falling to the floor with another crack that caused him to cry out in pain and cough weakly, his breathing becoming frantic.

"I said beg! For your life or for your death, I don't care!" Doji cackled maniacally as he continued to throw Gingka around.

"Come now, it's not so much fun to break you if you don't say something."

All Gingka could do was groan in pain as he laid on the ground, blood soaking his clothing. He closed his eyes, waiting for death. It would soon come, he knew. He had lost enough blood that it wouldn't be long. Whatever happened next, it couldn't be worse than this, right? Gingka clenched a fist weakly, listening to his heart pounding in his ears. He swore that it was speeding up, trying to compensate for the heavy blood loss. His breathing was definitely speeding up. Every fresh breath only brought more pain. Gingka figured that his ribcage was probably smashed to pieces right now. Even if it wasn't, that was what it felt like. He shifted position slightly, instinct telling him to relieve the pressure on his lungs, but the movement only intensified the stabbing pain in his chest. The last thing he felt was his airway filling once more with blood before darkness clouded his mind and he completely blacked out.

"A pity. I wasn't finished having fun yet." Doji smirked. "Well, since you seem to be finished, then I suppose I may as well take you home. It's the least I can do for someone who has given me such a fun time."

* * *

><p>"Hey Zero. Are you alright?" Madoka asked as she entered.<p>

The Ifrit blader turned his head towards her, tired blue eyes blinking in surprise.

"I… I think so…" he muttered under his breath.

Madoka sighed in relief. "Well, that's a good thing."

"The tournament…? What'll happen?"

"Unfortunately you and the others have been disqualified due to your injuries." Madoka sighed. "But don't worry, the DNA will lose. The final round is tomorrow."

"Who's in it?"

"Argo Garcia and Kyoya."

Zero's eyes widened "Not Gingka? Who beat him?"

"Kyoya, yesterday. It was…" Madoka paused and bit her lip, unsure of whether or not she should tell Zero what had happened. The young blader already seemed rather traumatized by what had happened to him, and she didn't want to make it worse.

"It was what?" Ren asked from her bed, brown eyes looking slightly duller than normal.

Madoka sighed. "It didn't go well… Perhaps Gingka deserved what happened, but I don't know."

"What happened?" Eight spoke up from his position snuggled in Kite's arms.

"GIngka looked injured afterwards, and Kyoya's been even more antisocial since the battle. We don't know exactly what happened, but the DNA took Gingka right after the battle ended, and we haven't heard anything about him since. As much as I… dislike what he's been doing, I'm still a bit worried." Madoka sighed.

"I see…" the younger bladers muttered.

"But if he's their ally, the DNA probably just has him in their own hospital or something, recovering. Right, Chief?" Maru piped up, looking up at Madoka.

"I don't know, Maru." Madoka sighed. "The DNA's pretty ruthless just from what we've seen. You guys know that firsthand."

The others in the room stared down at their blankets in silence.

"I just don't get it." Zero said after a while.

"None of us do." Madoka sighed.

"No, I mean, just before the finals of Battle Bladers, Gingka appeared to me and encouraged me to fight with all the spirit I had. Because he did that, i was able to beat Kira, but now… He's going completely against that entire idea."

Madoka frowned as she stared at the ground. "Something's fishy here. Even if he had changed his mind about the whole blader's spirit, it couldn't have been that quickly. Something changed his mind, and it was probably a split-second decision."

"FInally, you're catching on." a voice said from the doorway.

"Huh?" Everyone looked over. Kyoya was leaning against the wall just inside the doorway, his arms crossed and a serious look on his face.

"Kyoya?" Madoka blinked in surprise.

"It's about time I told you all the truth. Madoka, call the others. I don't want to have to explain this more than once." Kyoya said solemnly.

Madoka nodded quickly, pulling out her cellphone and calling Ryo, Tsubasa, and Benkei, plus the Legendary Bladers. If Kyoya was ready to explain, then they needed to assemble quickly, before he changed his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>-And now, a chapter ending AN from the location known as The Emo Corner.-<strong>

**Me: TT_TT Yush! Meh loves the intensity! But meh hates Doji now... Grr...**

**Gingka: You are one confusing girl.**

**Me: I confuse myself sometimes... Anyway, Galaxy out!**


	7. Not Gonna Die

**Madoka: Is Galaxy still in the emo corner?**

**Kenta: Yup. **

**Madoka: Wow. You'd think she'd be out of it by now. Anyway, to the readers: Enjoy this chapter, which is named after the song "Not Gonna Die" by Skillet.**

* * *

><p>"Alright Kyoya, spill. You said we didn't know what's really going on here, so tell us."<p>

Kyoya cast his turquoise gaze over the group gathered around him, which was waiting with a mixture of eagerness and nervousness for what he was about to say. The greenette sighed and leaned back, resting his head against the wall behind him and closing his eyes as he began.

"I know that none of you trust Gingka right now, but I heard this directly from him, and he proved to me in battle that he wasn't lying. I met him the night before our battle, and he explained everything. Perhaps I was the last person that he could explain it to, before the bond between us was broken."

"W-what do you mean…?" Madoka asked quietly.

Kyoya sighed and began explaining.

* * *

><p><em>"Kyoya, if you think that I have even the slightest bit of honor left as a fellow blader, then hear me out."<em>

_Kyoya crossed his arms, Leone spinning steadily in front of him._

_"Fine then. Try and see if I'll believe you after what you've done. Kenta and everyone else you've fought or attacked is in the hospital, all because of you."_

_Gingka looked at the ground. "I know. You know, forget explaining. Instead, I've got a request."_

_"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Kyoya growled, a light breeze blowing his bangs around._

_Gingka clenched one hand into a tight fist. "Because I can't stop this!"_

_"What in the world are you talking about?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow._

_Gingka raised his head, barely daring to make eye contact with his rival, but doing it anyway. His eyes began to tear up as he continued._

_"Because no matter what I do, someone gets hurt. This is going to end with someone dying, no matter which way it goes, and I can't stop it. I beat Nemesis, but I can't beat this."_

_Kyoya bared his teeth slightly. "You're the antagonist here, Gingka. This is all your fault."_

_"I know that!" Gingka snapped. "And I can't stop. I can't fight this battle. That's why I need you to do it. Our battle is tomorrow. I need you to kill me, tomorrow. That's the only way this can ever end."_

_Kyoya froze, tensing. "Y-you want me… To kill you?" he said in disbelief._

_Gingka closed his eyes and nodded._

_"I can't do that. Even if you've joined the DNA, I can't-"_

_"But I didn't join them!" Gingka snapped angrily._

_"Then what do you call what you've been doing?" Kyoya snarled._

_"They've been forcing me. I didn't want to do any of it." Gingka whispered._

_"Forcing you?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "You're letting them do this?"_

_"I had no choice!" Gingka shouted, his eyes blazing angrily with a mixture of pain and sorrow. "The difference here is between me dying, or all of you guys dying. I realized too late that someone was going to die no matter what happened, and it might as well be me."_

_"What are you babbling about?"_

_Gingka looked Kyoya straight in the eye, his voice suddenly deathly calm. "If I don't do as they say, they'll kill all of you guys. I never wanted to join them, but it was join them or be forced to watch everyone I cared about die. What would you have done?!" Gingka looked at the ground as he finished, leaning against the wall as his body trembled, tears splashing on the ground as he squeezed his eyes shut._

_"So that's it, huh?" Kyoya grunted, then sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Fine. I understand your point, but I can't fulfill your request. I can't kill you."_

_"If you don't, then the DNA will." Gingka muttered. "This will end with someone's death, and at this point it's mine. The only choice is a quick one at your hand or what's sure to be a drawn out one at Doji's hand."_

_Kyoya growled. "No! I won't kill you." he stepped over and put a hand on Gingka's shoulder, causing the redhead to look up at him with pain in his golden-brown eyes._

_Kyoya paused slightly at that look, one of unspeakable suffering._

_"I won't kill you, but I can knock you out of the tournament."_

_"You still don't understand…" Gingka whispered._

_"What more is there to understand?" Kyoya grunted._

_"Every battle has broken a bond, and there's only one left. I'm not sure I can take the final tie snapping. Kyoya, please. You have to do it."_

_"No! How many times do I have to tell you that I won't do it!" Kyoya snapped, turning away from Gingka and beginning to walk off._

_"Then the next round of pain is on your head." Gingka whispered, his voice barely audible, but audible enough that Kyoya could hear. The Leone blader paused for a moment, then growled under his breath and stormed off, leaving Gingka alone in the darkness._

* * *

><p>Everyone stared at Kyoya in shock, their brains still trying to process his words.<p>

"So, all of this… Was to protect us?" Madoka whispered.

Aguma grunted angrily. "Protecting by hurting. That story Gingka told you doesn't have me convinced."

"Aguma…"

Everyone whirled at the voice. Kenta was sitting up in bed, wincing slightly.

"Kenta! You should lie down and rest!" Madoka exclaimed, rushing over.

"Not before I add on to what Kyoya just said." Kenta grunted. "Aguma, you don't get it because you haven't battled him. Chi Yun might not have felt it at its full strength, but Gingka was in pain when he was forced to battle us and defeat us like he did. Feeling that pain coming from Pegasus during our battle told me the whole story before Kyoya ever found it out."

Everyone stared at Kenta in surprise, before their attention was attracted by a sharp gasp from Kyoya, who grabbed the fabric of his shirt and clenched his fist around it, panting.

"Kyoya, are you alright?" Tsubasa asked.

"More pain... " Kyoya growled.

"What are you talking about?! Is something wrong?"

* * *

><p>"Look out!"<p>

"What is that?!"

Several people screamed as a large robotic figure landed in the center of their small village.

"Relax, dear people. I only come to return to you one who belongs here." the robot said evilly.

"I know that voice… Doji!" Hyoma shouted, rushing out of a building nearby.

"Well well, if it isn't you. Long time no see." Doji cackled evilly, throwing a blood-soaked bundle at the Aries blader, who tensed.

"I'll be going now. Enjoy your little 'gift.'" Doji cackled before flying off.

Hyoma slowly bent down and untied the rope at the top of the bundle, his hands trembling. Upon opening the burlap, he gasped and clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Oh, Gingka…" he whispered, reaching down and gently stroking the near-white face of the redhead before carefully lifting him and rushing inside. Several of the villagers followed him, all of them shocked at the sight of the blader that they had not seen for years.

"Mom! It's Gingka, and he needs help, quickly!" Hyoma called, laying Gingka on the ground on top of a pallet that someone else had spread. In response, an older woman wearing a doctor's outfit rushed in, carrying a first aid kit and several other medical supplies.

"He's still alive, but barely." She said after checking for a pulse. "Hyoma, run to the back room and get me an oxygen tank, mask, and the other life support systems. I may be able to save him, but we have to work quickly. He's already deep into shock and has clearly lost a lot of blood, judging by his skin and the state of his clothing."

"How did this happen to him?" One villager asked, beginning to apply pressure to one of Gingka's wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Doji, undoubtedly. I didn't think he'd robotify himself, but there's no mistake. He hates Gingka." Hyoma sighed, returning with the requested supplies.

"His entire chest has nearly collapsed. I've got to relieve the pressure on his lungs and heart."

"Tell us what to do, Isha, and we'll do it. We may not be a trained medical staff, but we can still help." One villager said.

Isha sighed. "Get me some clean bandages and the box marked surgical tools. I'll also need some hot water. This is going to be a tough battle…. And I only hope that I can win it, no, that he can win it. Hyoma, help me get his jacket and shirt off, preferably while moving him as little as possible. We don't want to cause more damage. Judging by the fact that he's been coughing up blood, and still is, there's a lung punctured, if not both."

"But he's still coughing a bit. That's good, right?"

"It's giving me hope that there's still a chance for him to survive. If he can still get enough air into his lungs, then he can still breathe, but we need to stop the bleeding or it'll eventually suffocate him, if his heart doesn't stop from the blood loss first." Isha said, hooking up multiple devices to Gingka in her attempt to keep him alive.

With Hyoma's help, Isha removed Gingka's shirt and carefully pieced his ribs back together, muttering soothing things to him as she worked. As Hyoma slowly eased the unconscious blader into a semi-sitting position, Isha wrapped bandages around him, one eye watching the heart monitor while the other focused on her hands. Several hours after Doji's unexpected and dramatic appearance, Isha leaned back with a sigh.

"There's nothing more I can do. From here, the fight is his. Hopefully we replaced enough blood that he can still make it, but I still can't be sure." the woman whispered, gently brushing Gingka's bangs out of his face.

"I'll stay up with him and keep watch." Hyoma muttered, laying a blanket over his friend.

"If his heart stops, it's over. His ribcage is too fragile for a defibrillator." Isha stood and stretched, sighing sorrowfully. "I'd say that he has a very low chance of making it even through the night, but his chances will increase if he is still alive by dawn. Everything's weaker than I'd like, but there's nothing I can do but to keep feeding him oxygen and to make sure that nothing blocks his trachea. There is probably still some internal bleeding."

"I'll watch. You go to bed and don't worry. If anything happens, I'll call you." Hyoma promised, his eyes focused on Gingka's barely-moving ribcage.

Isha nodded and walked off, ruffling Hyoma's hair as she passed him.

"Gingka… You're safe now… I promise." Hyoma whispered, moving to the red coals in a nearby fireplace and blowing them into a blazing flame before going to the kitchen and making himself a cup of coffee. His ears remained highly tuned to the rapid, almost frantic beeping noise coming from the other room. Soon enough, another sound caught his attention. Hyoma paused what he was doing and narrowed his eyes, straining his ears. It came again, a small scratching noise that came from the front door.

"Hokuto... " Hyoma whispered, rushing to the front door and opening it. Sure enough, as he had predicted, a small white dog trotted in, shaking a bit of water off his fur.

"Where is he?" Hokuto asked breathlessly.

Hyoma wordlessly pointed to the room where Gingka lay, his eyes shining in sorrow.

"He may not make the night." the Aries blader whispered, following Hokuto into the living room.

"I see." Hokuto sighed, trotting slowly over and gently nudging Gingka's face with his nose. The dog wrinkled his nose slightly, then curled up next to Gingka's head, his eyes shining watchfully in the light from the fireplace. Hyoma sighed heavily and went back to the kitchen, returning with his mug of steaming coffee.

"How in the world was Doji able to do this…?" the blader wondered aloud, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the small screen with the jagged line that indicated the small amount of hope that remained for survival.

"Perhaps Ryo knows." Hokuto suggested, whining and resting his chin lightly on Gingka's shoulder.

"Do we even know how to contact him…?" Hyoma whispered, a few tears falling from his cheeks.

"No." Hokuto sighed, standing and walking around Gingka a few times.

"He'll be in quite a bit of pain when he wakes up, don't you think…?" Hyoma mused.

"Undoubtedly." Hokuto sighed.

"If he wakes up…" Hyoma whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

Hokuto whined at this, licking Gingka's hand for a few moments before wriggling his head underneath the pale fingers.

"What about his bey…?" Hokuto asked after a few minutes of silence.

Hyoma blinked, then reached over and checked Gingka's belt.

"Missing. Doji probably has it." he sighed.

Hokuto sighed. "He won't be happy about that…"

Hyoma sniffled. "I almost can't stand seeing him like this… So weakened."

Hokuto nodded.

"Will he even make it…?" Hyoma muttered.

"Only time will tell." Hokuto replied.

* * *

><p><strong>And now, our end AN from the emo corner!<strong>

**Gingka: Great. Now I'm dying.. Again. **

**Me: Well geez, I had to do something. It's not like Doji's the nicest of people. Anyway, brace yourselves, because the next few chapters are rather sad. Galaxy out!**


	8. Not Gonna Die: Pt 2

**Merry Christmas everyone! Have another chapter of "Not One Of Us," a few days early! I'm working on a Christmas oneshot right now as well, and hopefully i'll have it done before today ends. (Well, in my timezone, at least.) I debated for a while whether or not to post this, as it's a rather sad chapter and Christmas is generally a happy holiday, but I decided to post it anyway. Enjoy! Chapter title: "Not Gonna Die" by Skillet. Yeah, I used the same one again... Lack of creativity on my part, I suppose, but the title fits.**

* * *

><p>"It's no good. We can't find him anywhere."<p>

"This whole situation just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Dynamis sighed, leaning against the wall.

Yuki nodded, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well, he'd better be back in time for the final round of the tournament. It's tomorrow morning, after all."

"We'd better get back ourselves. It's getting late." Dynamis sighed, turning and heading back towards the brightly-lit stadium in the distance.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the final round! This tournament has been filled with many twists and turns, and this final battle is no different! On one side, we have the CEO of the DNA, who wasn't expected to make it very far but has nonetheless made it all the way to the end, Argo Garcia!" DJ paused, but nobody cheered.<p>

"And on the other side, we have the roaring lion himself, who, in a huge upset during the fourth round, finally managed to defeat his long-time rival Gingka, please give it up for Kyoya Tategami!" Guider said.

Much to the surprise of Madoka and the others, nobody cheered as Kyoya and Argo stepped out, determination on both faces.

"Just what is going on here…?"" Zero asked, seated in a chair.

"Kyoya doesn't look focused." Dynamis narrowed his eyes. "Something's definitely wrong."

"And Argo looks… Strangely confident, like he has nothing to lose." Kenta commented from his position leaning against the wall.

"What happened to Gingkie, again?" Titi asked.

"Not now, Titi. We'll explain later." Tsubasa said.

Everyone was tense as the two bladers below raised their launchers, the immortal cry failing to be heard as they launched in silence. Kyoya moved almost mechanically, attacking out of habit more than anything else. Argo smirked as he noticed this, and sent Gil straight into the wind that Leone was kicking up.

"Kyoya, focus!" Aguma thundered from the stands.

In that instant, something ignited in Kyoya's eyes, and Leone swiftly dodged, only to turn around and attack immediately.

Argo smirked. "Looks like the mighty lion is a bit distracted. Something wrong, kitty cat?"

Kyoya growled, his eyes blazing in anger. "Don't push it. This battle ends here, and once it does, you return him to us." he said, as Leone fired bursts of wind at Ray Gil.

Argo raised an eyebrow. "Return him? Oh, you mean little Hagane. What makes you think that he would want to come back to you, after all that you and his other supposed friends did?"

Gil dodged, trying to get around behind Leone.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes. "No matter what you mean by that, I know that he'd rather be with us than trapped with you."

Leone whirled and swiped at Gil.

Argo chuckled. "He doesn't have a choice. None of you do."

Gil leapt back, circling warily. Leone whipped up an angry tornado.

"We all do. You've done what you wanted, you've made your point. Now let him return."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Argo chuckled, as GIl glowed purple.

"And why not?" Kyoya challenged.

"Are you going to do to me what you did to him?" Argo asked with a knowing smirk.

"Answer my question!" Kyoya roared, as the tornado became more intense.

"You all broke your bonds with him. Some broke through battle, some broke through other means, but he has nothing left to tie him to any of you. His allegiance is with the DNA now, and with the DNA it will remain until he dies."

"You mean until you kill him." Kyoya snarled.

Argo paused for a moment, as Gil attacked the tornado directly and was flung back. Leone charged, sending its opponent flying in one swift attack.

"Really, Kyoya, you're making assumptions. He's one of our most powerful allies, so why would we kill him?"

"Because every time he battled one of us, every time a bond snapped, he lost some of his power. No matter what you think, it was the bonds with us that made him as strong as he was. He told me himself that this fight would end with his death. You're not fooling me."

Argo looked shocked. "He couldn't have possibly told you anything. He was never without a DNA blader."

"Except the night before our battle." Kyoya snarled. "He was alone then, the night before you forced him to break his bond with me."

"You broke that bond yourself when you defeated him."

"That was no victory." Kyoya growled. "Hagane wasn't at his full strength, so that victory doesn't count as anything."

"No, you're not counting it because you know that you were responsible for hurting him, and badly." Argo cackled.

"This isn't good." Ryo commented, watching as Leone's tornado flickered wildly, while Gil attacked again and again.

"Kyoya's losing it. He's getting too angry and unfocused." Dynamis said.

"Stop it, now!" Kyoya roared, as Leone flung Gil out of the stadium.

"Kyoya wins!" DJ announced.

"Now, let Hagane go. He doesn't want to be under your hand." Kyoya growled. "We can protect ourselves from you too, so don't think about threatening him with that any more."

"Oh, I can't let him go." Argo chuckled maniacally.

"Something's wrong." Madoka breathed.

"And why not?" Kyoya snapped.

Argo smirked evilly as he looked Kyoya directly in the eye.

"Our only goal in all of this was to get revenge on Hagane, and all of you, for defeating us before. And all of you so graciously cooperated!" he cackled madly.

Everyone gasped in shock.

Kyoya growled. "WHat do you mean, get revenge?"

"Oh please. This was all Doji's idea. Really, the plan was quite simple. Baihu lured Hagane into a trap, which got him to our base. After that, Doji presented him with an offer: If he joined forces with us, and obeyed every order we gave him, then all of you would not be harmed. If he chose to refuse, we would leave him where he was, trapped, helplessly watching as we destroyed you all one by one."

Kyoya growled. "As if you could even do that."

Argo chuckled. "You underestimate us. Doji only wanted to break Hagane, in any way that he could."

"And I really must thank you all for cooperating and making that happen!" Doji's voice sounded, as the giant holographic image of the evil mastermind appeared.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd, as Ryo and the others stared in shock.

"Really, watching him suffer mentally through this entire process was quite entertaining." Doji cackled. "Making him be the one to crush you all, it was the best possible way to torture him. As each of those bonds he had with you snapped, he crumbled!"

"We have to get him back. We have to apologize." Madoka whispered. "I yelled at him, that must have hurt. Doji planned this all from the beginning."

Kyoya growled. "Alright, so you've had your sick, twisted 'fun.' So why won't you let him go?"

Doji cackled madly at this. "After breaking his mind, all that was left was to break his body as well!"

"No…" Ryo whispered in horror.

"He had quite the painful death, I assure you!" Doji laughed maniacally.

"Hagane is dead. There's nothing you can do about that." Argo smirked, looking around as the entire crowd stared at him in shock.

"I left his body in Koma Village as my final strike. Go there, if you dare, and see what happens to those who dare defy the DNA. We've won!" Doji said before disappearing, along with Argo.

Madoka's legs gave out at the sudden revelation. Tsubasa barely managed to catch the brunette before she collapsed. Ryo stared blankly at the glass in front of him, tears spilling out of his eyes unhindered.

"No… No… He can't be dead… no…" Madoka whispered the words to herself repeatedly, panting and trembling as she sat on the ground. Maru climbed into her teacher's lap and hugged her tightly. Madoka clutched the small girl to her and sobbed into the top of Maru's hat.

Kyoya raised his head, swiping away his own tears. "Five minutes of silence, for our fallen friend." He said, struggling to maintain a calm voice.

Several people around the audience nodded at him. Kyoya turned and strode out of the stadium as the entire world fell deathly silent. DJ put a five-minute timer on the screen, sniffling. Everyone stood with their heads lowered, solemn and silent. Tsubasa entered a few words into his screen, sending a command to DJ.

"Ladies and gentlemen." DJ said calmly once the five minutes were up. "We thank you for attending today. Please enjoy the rest of your day, and the Director will make an announcement later this week about what we will do to further commemorate Gingka."

"I'm going back to Tokyo… The press will be very curious about this." Ryo muttered, turning to leave.

"Mr. Hagane." Zero said quietly, standing.

Ryo turned to the young blader. "Yes?" He said.

"I-I'm sorry…" Zero muttered.

Ryo sighed. "It's alright…" He muttered before turning and leaving.

Slowly, the stadium emptied. People walked to their cars and homes in silence. Nobody felt like doing anything, after the news had shocked them all into a heavy silence. Madoka and the rest of Gingka's friends and allies gathered in the large meeting room at the WBBA headquarters, which Tsubasa opened for them. Many sat in silence, the revelation of Gingka's death having hit them like a brick, knocking them nearly senseless. Others huddled in small groups, hugging and sobbing. Aguma and the rest of the bladers who could nearly be called emotionless leaned against the walls, staring at nothing and nobody in particular, and looking completely normal, except for the small droplets that they had trapped in the corners of their eyes.

Madoka, in particular, was devastated. She was clinging to anyone within reach and sobbing, whispering small words to herself inaudibly. Kenta was trying to comfort her, but was so upset himself that he soon passed the responsibility off to Dynamis.

"W-where's Kyoya?" Yuki asked after a few hours, looking around.

Half of the group paused, looking around and realizing for the first time that the Leone blader was not, in fact, among them.

"He probably went off by himself." Aguma said, looking at the ground. "He'll turn up eventually."

"Those DNA bakas." Chris growled angrily. "We played right into their hands."

"I-I told Gingka that I hated him…" Madoka whispered.

"We probably all thought that at some point, whether we meant it or not. The DNA knew we would if he suddenly turned on us like they forced him to do." Tsubasa said.

"We will all have regrets about this, but there's nothing we can do to change them." Dynamis spoke up calmly. "All we can do now is to show the DNA that we're not scared of them, and that we won't be manipulated by them any more."

All eyes in the room were on the Jupiter blader as he continued.

"We'll fight back. We're bladers, after all. We can't let Gingka's death scare us out of fighting back, fighting for victory. Instead, we can remember his legacy, and remember the things that he taught us while he was alive. Then, we can use that, use all of our combined power, to defeat the DNA, and to show that, while Gingka may be dead, his spirit continues on in us. We'll carry the burden that he once did. It may be hard, but we're strong, thanks to meeting him."

Dynamis's words had an almost magical effect. Tears were replaced by looks of determination in the eyes of the entire group. Those who were sitting stood. Those who were leaning against the wall stepped forwards, nodding in agreement. Those who were burying their faces in their hands uncovered their faces and narrowed their eyes, nodding.

"Are we all in agreement then?" Dynamis asked.

"Yes." Came the chorus of replies.

"Pegasus has fallen, but it can rise again through our efforts." Yuki said.

"We won't give up until we've defeated the DNA, once and for all!" Titi punched the air.

"And Doji will learn what happens when you mess with our friends! Bu-bu-bull!" Benkei's exclamation made a few people in the group chuckle under their breaths, despite the sorrow in their hearts.

"We'll go start looking for clues to find them right now!" Ren exclaimed.

"No, you still have to finish recovering. You can look later." Madoka said firmly, sniffling.

Ren pouted. "Fine, but it had better not take too long."

Everyone laughed at the blonde, despite their former solemn moods.

"I'll get to work repairing everyone's beys… It's what Gingka would want." Madoka said.

Everyone nodded, many of them passing their beys to her before they all left and went their separate ways.

Madoka walked home, Maru following close behind her. Clouds above them gathered and began pouring rain on the two girls, darkening their mood. Madoka began crying silently again, memories of Gingka returning as the excitement and determination that had resulted from Dynamis's speech wore off. As soon as she had reached the B-Pit, Madoka ran upstairs and threw herself on her bed, burying her face in the pillow. Maru watched sadly from the doorway as her mentor slowly cried herself to sleep.

Ryo, in the meantime, sat in a helicopter, staring blankly out the window. The words he had said to Gingka in that alleyway a few nights before were running through his mind. He regretted saying them, making the last conversation he had with his only son an argument, even if said argument had been one-sided. He had all too blindly played right into Doji's hands, and had hurt Gingka terribly. Ryo buried his face in his hands and sobbed. He wished nothing more than to have a second chance, to go back and say something different to the son that he hadn't seen in years and now would never see again, at least not alive. The thought made Ryo homesick. He hadn't been back to Koma Village since he had left it as Phoenix nine years before. The redhead leaned forwards and spoke to the pilot, who nodded and changed course.


	9. Iron: Everything Goes Black

**Hey look, a chapter I don't have a love-hate relationship with! This is the stuff I've been waiting to get to! Woohoo! Anyway, chapter title is two songs this time, "Iron" by Within Temptation, and "Everything Goes Black" by Skillet. Enjoy!**

**Gingka: Well, someone's out of the emo corner.**

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><p>The sound of an approaching helicopter attracted the attention of several villagers. Many of them rushed outside, staring up in fear at the helicopter. To them, it was a symbol of tragedy, and they had had enough of that recently. Several of them prepared their launchers as the helicopter landed in the middle of the village.<p>

"Let me through!" Hyoma's voice sounded, as the Aries blader pushed through the crowd to the front.

"It's a WBBA helicopter. Not dangerous. Friendly to us."

The crowd relaxed slightly at Hyoma's words, although they were still tense. Hyoma approached the helicopter as the blades came to a stop, knowing who was probably inside. A collective gasp of surprise rose from the crowd as Ryo stepped out, sorrow shining in his eyes. Several people moved to greet him, although all communication was half-hearted. Eventually, Hyoma got Ryo away from the crowd and into his home, where the two sat on the couch.

"Are you alright?" Hyoma asked, bringing coffee for the older male.

Ryo sighed. "I'm fine…" he muttered, staring down at the mug in his hands once Hyoma had handed it to him.

"No, you're not." Hyoma stated. "I can tell."

Ryo sighed and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "It's a long story."

"We've got time." Hyoma said, listening with a keen ear to a quiet beeping noise coming from another room.

Ryo sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. "It started about a week ago. This new organization called the DNA showed up, with an electronic Doji claiming that Gingka had joined them. We found out less than a day later that he had, inexplicably, actually joined them. So, me and Tsubasa got together with some of the others and planned a tournament. We knew that, if the DNA had forced Gingka into joining them, they wouldn't be letting him tell us. However, we knew that he and his… friends… had always been able to communicate with him through battling, and that was one thing that the DNA couldn't block. We gave them the perfect opportunity. We thought they were just trying to defeat us, to prove that they were stronger, yet we played right into their hands."

"What do you mean…?" Hyoma asked, looking concerned. "So this is what happened to Gingka… Is it?" he thought as Ryo continued.

"Gingka defeated three bladers in the tournament before he faced Kyoya. By the time that happened, all of the bonds between him and us had been broken, except for the one between him and Kyoya. This meant that he was severely weakened. We found out later from Kyoya that Gingka had asked Kyoya to kill him in that battle." Ryo paused for a moment, sniffling.

"Kyoya didn't kill him, but Gingka somehow managed to get Kyoya angry enough that he did severely injure Gingka. After Kyoya had won the final round, Doji showed up and said that his only goal had been to break Gingka, to torture him… And then he said that Gingka was dead… That he had killed him..."

Hyoma looked sadly at Ryo as the older Hagane buried his face in his hands, frantically trying to calm his sobbing. The Aries blader moved over and put an arm around Ryo's shoulders, trying to comfort the distraught father.

"Ryo-" Hyoma began, then froze as he heard a sudden gasp, followed by a cry of pain.

Moving almost as one, Ryo and Hyoma rushed to the source. Hyoma practically slammed the door open as he rushed into the room. Ryo froze in the doorway, eyes widening in disbelief. Frightened golden-brown eyes flashed in the dim light from the window.

"It's alright. You're safe." Hyoma said gently, moving to calm Gingka down. The redhead squeezed his eyes closed, a few tears falling from them as Hyoma worked to relieve the pain.

"Lie still. It'll only hurt more if you move." Hyoma said calmly, turning up the oxygen flow and grabbing some painkillers.

Ryo stepped over slowly, silently. "Gingka…" he muttered.

Gingka's eyes flashed as they shot opened, staring at him. Ryo held his breath for a moment, the full weight of his previous words to his son hitting him as he saw nothing but fear in the young adult's eyes. After a few moments, Ryo could see nothing more than the hurting, frightened child inside Gingka.

"It's alright. I shouldn't have said what I did." Ryo whispered, a few tears springing to his eyes as he gently took one of Gingka's hands in his own. Hyoma smiled slightly and stepped out of the room as Ryo pulled up a chair and sat down, gently reaching over and laying his other hand on Gingka's face. Ryo gently stroked the slightly pale, tear-stained skin, brushing strands of hair the same shade as his own away.

"Shh… It's okay." Ryo whispered, smiling slightly as his son calmed down.

"D-dad…" Gingka whispered weakly, coughing and groaning at the pain that it caused.

Worry shone in Ryo's eyes as he sat, forced to watch Gingka suffer.

"I'm here. It's going to be okay. You're safe now. Doji… Can't harm you." Ryo's voice broke slightly at the name of the evil mastermind.

"I-i'm… Sorry…." Gingka whispered.

"Kyoya explained everything to us. It's alright. I understand." Ryo replied.

"I… Was too weak…" Gingka whimpered.

Ryo leaned over and hugged his son, gently, but firmly. "It's alright. You were weakened by the DNA's plots. It wasn't your fault."

Gingka slowly reached an arm up and laid it across his father's back, sobbing. Ryo carefully maneuvered himself until he was sitting on the bed next to Gingka, with the young adult leaning against him. Gingka's body shook with sobs as he turned his head and partially buried his face into Ryo's shirt. The Phoenix's eyes shone with worry as he looked at his son, noticing the blood-stained bandages covering his entire torso, as well as parts of his arms and his head.

"Just rest." Ryo whispered, pulling the blanket up around his son and holding him close. Moments later, Isha came in. The older woman smiled slightly as she spotted Ryo, who looked at her and smiled back, although sadly.

"Hey, Gingka…" Isha said quietly, moving around the bed and gently laying a hand on the redhead's arm.

Gingka opened his eyes, turning his head slightly so that he could see her. Fatigue and pain dulled his eyes, which were no longer blazing. Isha wondered for a moment if they would ever blaze again, considering that she had now heard the full story from Hyoma.

"I-Isha-san…" Gingka breathed.

"Hey. Don't try to move too much. Every single one of your ribs is broken or cracked, and movement could cause more damage." Isha said.

Gingka nodded slightly. Isha smiled gently at him and put a hand on the side of his face.

"You're going to be just fine." She said.

GIngka broke eye contact, looking down slightly. Isha sighed and turned to Ryo.

"Do you need anything?" She asked.

"No. Right now, I'm just glad to know that he's alive." Ryo muttered, carefully shifting Gingka back onto his back before getting up and moving back to his chair, again taking one of Gingka's hands in his as Isha left.

Gingka looked at his father, looking slightly surprised.

"After… All I did… You still… Care…?" he muttered.

"Of course I still care." Ryo said firmly, leaning over and hugging the injured redhead. "You're my son, and nothing is going to change that, not ever."

Gingka let out a slight whimper at Ryo's words, closing his eyes as tears splashed.

"D-dad…" He whispered, his voice a mixture of pain, sorrow, and relief.

"My son…" Ryo whispered, smiling even through the tears. "Nobody is going to hurt you, not ever again... If they dare try, they'll have to deal with me."

"They… Could kill you… Doji will come after me… If he finds out that I'm still alive…"

"He won't. If he does, you'll be strong enough to defeat him."

"But… I couldn't do it… What will he do to them now…?"

"They'll stand against him. Doji won't be able to hurt them, not if they keep a united front."

"He can't be stopped… He beat me… I wasn't strong.. enough… to protect them… to protect you…."

"Shh, it's okay." Ryo whispered as Gingka broke into a fresh round of tears that ended with a weak fit of coughing, causing more tears to fall in what was sure to eventually be a neverending cycle.

"Gingka…" Ryo whispered, barely able to bear seeing his only child in this condition. "You were stronger than any of us, in the end."

"No… No I wasn't…"

"Yes, you were. You knew from the beginning what you were getting into, what the consequences would be, yet you stuck with it, ready to fight to the end you knew would come. You were ready to give it your all, even though you knew that it would hurt you badly. And you did. You fought hard to keep Doji from hurting us. You fought yourself, even. You didn't want to fight us while seeming to be on the DNA's side, yet you knew that if you didn't they'd go after us. You only did what you could, and that… That was enough."

"He's still out there… He'll still.. try to…"

"Gingka." Ryo silenced his son gently, kissing his forehead and gently stroking his hair. "I couldn't be more proud of you."

"But… I…"

"You didn't fight on the wrong side. You were keeping them from attacking us by doing what you did, and we were too blind to see it until it was too late. None of us would have been mad at you if we had known the truth earlier, but we couldn't know the truth earlier. It's over now, and it's alright. Gingka… You won the battle again."

"No… Doji won… He beat me…"

"Doji may have won this round, but the tournament isn't over yet, Gingka. This war isn't over."

"But…"

"Shh… We'll win this war… And we'll do it together, like we should have from the beginning… No, like we have from the beginning. I just couldn't help you this time. But next time, I will. We'll get your power back, I promise. Pegasus will fly again."

"Pegasus... Is gone…" Gingka whispered.

"No, it's still at your side… Isn't it?" Ryo asked gently.

"It's not in his case…" Hyoma spoke up from the doorway. "We're assuming Doji has it."

Ryo groaned. "Great… As if this situation wasn't already bad enough…"

Gingka closed his eyes.

"We'll get it back, Gingka. Doji won't have it for long." Ryo muttered.

"No… Don't bother…"

"Why shouldn't we bother?"

"It's… Over…"

The words struck Ryo like a knife, leaving him panting for air. Hyoma's eyes widened at the sudden revelation, the unspoken words that he had never thought he'd find coming from his childhood friend, at least not a second time.

"Gingka, you can't give up!" Ryo exclaimed.

"I don't… Have anything left… No strength… No friends… Not even… Pegasus…" Gingka whispered.

"You have us. That's a start." Ryo said sternly. "Gingka please, you can't give up."

"Just let me… Be dead… To everyone…" Gingka replied, his throat beginning to sound blocked.

Ryo and Hyoma just stared, their eyes shining in shock and sorrow.

"It's… Better… That way…" Gingka coughed violently, closing his eyes tightly as tears leaked out.

Hyoma clenched a fist and growled, turning and striding out of the room. Ryo frantically slipped an arm behind Gingka's back, helping him to sit up slightly so that he could clear whatever was beginning to block his airway. The broken young adult continued coughing for several minutes.

"Just… Let… Me… Die…" he said in between coughs before his eyes rolled back in his head and fluttered closed.

"Gingka… No…" Ryo whispered, holding his son close and concentrating on the shallow, weak breathing that indicated what little life seemed to be left in the redhead.

"He broke you… He completely shattered you to pieces…" Ryo whispered. "He can't be allowed to get away with this… I. Won't. Let. Him."

Ryo glowed light orange as his eyes blazed with anger and sorrow.

"Doji… You messed with the wrong person… We're coming for you… We're all coming… And none of us are going to stop until you've been defeated. You thought that this would break us down. but it has only strengthened our resolve. Once the truth is out, nothing will stop the world from rallying, from attacking you and your DNA as one army. You thought that revealing that you had defeated Gingka would cut us down, destroy us, and keep us from fighting you. You couldn't be more wrong. We'll win. We'll defeat you once and for all… You'll learn that you can't mess with one of our friends without messing with all of us. We are one army, one united force against you… And we will win."

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><p><strong>Meh loves this chapter! Family reunion scenes for the win! Woohoo!<strong>

**Gingka; Considering that I've practically given up and am probably dying, you sure are cheerful.**

**Me: Ehh, 2:15 in the morning, I'm hungry, been talking over Skype with friends for the last few hours (HI MK AND NAMI!) What can I say?**


	10. Hard to Find

**I'm back with another chapter! Happy New Years 2015 everyone! Enjoy! The title for this chapter is "Hard to Find" by, as usual, Skillet.**

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><p>Grunting and snapping sounds were the only thing to be heard in the silence of the night. That, and an occasional owl hooting. Fierce eyes shone through the darkness, as wild animals scattered from the path of the approaching figure. Low growls sounded, combined with angry muttering.<p>

"Doji… That idiot…" Kyoya snarled, mostly to himself as he walked.

Although Kyoya hated to admit it to anyone, he had considered Gingka as a close friend, as much as he considered him a rival. He had not counted his recent tournament win against Gingka as a true victory. In Kyoya's mind, the tie still stood, as it had for the last eight years, since the World Championships. Nothing could break it now, without the Pegasus blader. Kyoya snarled in anger. How dare Doji mess with his rival? He may have not always been on the best of terms with the redhead, but that didn't mean he didn't care, despite his cold exterior. Rage filled the Leone blader like fire, coursing through him. He wanted nothing more right now than to find and defeat the DNA for what they had done. He had felt the pain through the battle with Pegasus, had felt it again as he stood in the hospital after explaining to the others what had happened.

"Why does this stupid village have to be so deep in the mountains?" Kyoya groaned, inching along a narrow ledge of rock.

Leone pulsated in the carrier case at Kyoya's side, making the blader feel slightly warmer inside. He sighed in relief as he stepped once again onto solid ground, rather than the treacherous ledge he had been on formerly. Turquoise eyes narrowed at a few twinkling lights in the distance, undoubtedly coming from Koma Village. Kyoya reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a small object that was slightly warm from being against his body. However, a coldness radiated from it, causing Kyoya to shiver slightly, his eyes becoming tinged with sadness for a moment before they again steeled as he replaced the item in his pocket and continued walking.

"Halt! Outsiders are not welcome here!" a gruff voice said as Kyoya finally reached the village a couple of hours later.

The Leone blader grunted. "I've been here before, in case you're worried that I might wander in and cause some sort of problem."

"I cannot let you take one step further."

"I'm a… Friend, of Gingka's. Hyoma can confirm that I'm allowed to be here." Kyoya said calmly, crossing his arms.

"What do you want?" the villager asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the greenette.

Kyoya sighed. "I have to return something that belongs here."

"What, exactly?" the villager asked.

"I'd rather not say. Just get Hyoma to tell you that I'm allowed to be here, and I'll tell him what I have to say." Kyoya growled.

"Relax, he's alright." Hyoma said, stepping up next to the other villager, who stared at him in surprise.

"I thought you were staying home for a while longer, because of you-know-what." the villager said.

"I was, but I needed some fresh air." Hyoma sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Hyoma." Kyoya said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he noticed the tired and stressed, sorrowful look on the Aries blader's face.

"Long time no see, Kyoya." Hyoma replied, faking a smile.

"You probably already know why I'm here."

Hyoma looked surprised at Kyoya's comment.

"This way." he said, turning and walking off. Kyoya shot a triumphant smirk at the villager who had been blocking his path, following Hyoma. The greenette's face soon returned to its usual cold scowl, however, as Kyoya solemnly followed Hyoma across the village. After a few minutes of walking, Hyoma stopped at a door. He took a deep breath and opened it, entering.

"Mom, I'm back, and I've brought a friend." he called.

"Lots of people up, for how late it is." Kyoya commented.

"Yeah, just some crazy stuff been happening lately." Hyoma muttered.

Kyoya nodded silently. Words were not needed for the two bladers to know exactly what, no, who, the other was talking about.

"You're probably tired. I'll get you a bed set up out here if you don't mind. The guest room is already occupied." Hyoma's mother said, coming out of a back room and closing the door behind her.

Kyoya shook his head. "No. I only came to do something, and then I'll be off."

"It's late, and you've probably been walking for a while. You sure you don't want to just stay the night?" Hyoma asked, raising an eyebrow, although Kyoya could tell that his eyes were not focused on him, but on the door that Hyoma's mother had left slightly ajar.

"I'm sure."Kyoya said, reaching into his shirt pocket once again. "I figured that this belonged here, if anywhere." he held out something in his hand to Hyoma, who gasped lightly in surprise.

"Doji doesn't have it." Hyoma whispered, reaching out with a trembling hand and taking the gleaming silver and blue bey from Kyoya's hand.

"No, he doesn't. After our battle in the tournament, I picked it up, figuring that it'd be better for it to be in my hands than in the hands of the DNA."

"The DNA?" Hyoma looked up from staring at Pegasus, raising an eyebrow at Kyoya.

"It's a long story." Kyoya sighed. "And you should go to bed. Staying up late won't make him any less dead."

"Kyoya…" Hyoma muttered, then turned away. "Follow me." he walked towards the back room.

Kyoya blinked in confusion, but followed anyway, his ears picking up a faint beeping sound that grew louder as the two bladers approached the partially-closed door. Hyoma opened it and stepped aside, motioning Kyoya inside. The Leone blader tensed, his eyes widening in surprise and pupils constricting at the sight before him.

"He's… Alive?" Kyoya stammered out, barely daring to step closer to the pale, unconscious figure laying deathly still on the bed, with Ryo asleep in a chair next to him.

"Barely. His chances of survival grow with each hour he keeps breathing." Hyoma sighed. "He's still unstable, but he seems to be showing signs of recovery."

"How in the world did you…? Doji told us all he was dead!" Kyoya exclaimed.

"He was still alive when Doji dropped him off practically at my doorstep. My mom did the rest." Hyoma sighed. "We've had someone watching him constantly, to make sure that his vital signs stay steady. Here. You may as well return it to him."

Kyoya wordlessly took Samurai Pegasus from Hyoma's outstretched hand. The Leone blader moved over to his rival, noting with a small amount of worry the almost-deathlike tone of Gingka's skin. Kyoya narrowed his eyes slightly, anger once more rising in his veins as he took in the full reality of what Doji had done. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the greenette gently pressed the slightly warm metal bey into a cold hand.

Pegasus pulsed slightly, glowing blue for an instant before returning to normal. Hyoma's eyes widened as Gingka's fingers slowly closed around the bey, the redhead's face gaining a look that could almost be described as peaceful, although it still reflected the pain, both mental and physical, that he had endured so far.

"I see that someone beat me to getting here." Kyoya grunted, motioning to Ryo, who sniffled in his sleep and shifted slightly.

"He arrived a few hours ago… Gingka was awake earlier, for a bit." Hyoma muttered.

"He'll live then?" Kyoya asked solemnly.

"It's still a bit in the air, but since he was able to regain consciousness, my mom thinks so." Hyoma replied.

"And what do you think?" Kyoya narrowed his eyes at the Aries blader.

Hyoma sighed. "There's no willpower left in his body. Doji broke him thoroughly. He wanted us to let him die."

"Don't you dare let him die. If there's any hope left of beating the DNA, Gingka may be one of the few who can revive it. He has to survive."

"He's given up entirely. He didn't even want us to go after Pegasus… When we thought that Doji had it."

Kyoya sighed. "I see."

A weak cough brought the attention of the two men back to the redhead laying on the bed nearby. Ryo had already awoken at the sound, his parental instinct on high alert.

"Easy, easy." the Phoenix whispered, slipping one arm behind Gingka's back and carefully maneuvering him into a sitting up position.

Gingka kept coughing for several minutes, tears falling from his eyes. Kyoya watched, his eyes wide in shock at the extent of the damage Doji had caused. The greenette stepped over to the side of the bed as Gingka's coughing fit finally died down and ended.

"Gingka."

Partially glazed-over, golden-brown eyes opened and wandered to Kyoya as Gingka somehow managed to get his breathing under control.

"Ky...oya…" the redhead breathed, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.

"You feel it. I can tell." Kyoya said. Ryo looked confusedly at the Leone blader.

"What are you talking about?" the Phoenix asked after a few moments.

"You're not allowed to give up, Gingka." Kyoya growled.

Gingka sighed and looked away. "I… Can't fight… Anymore…"

"Shut up and listen!" Kyoya snapped, causing everyone but Gingka to jump back slightly.

"I didn't come all this way for nothing. I expected to see a grave, yes, but instead I find you alive. Know this: I don't count our last battle as a victory. I have yet to defeat you at your true strength."

"That… Will never return…"

"You're wrong, Gingka." Kyoya growled, the lion blazing in his eyes. "It's already returning, you're just too blind to see it."

"Kyoya, please. Go easy on him." Ryo pleaded quietly.

"What, because he's injured?! That's no excuse!" Kyoya snarled. Ryo instantly snapped his mouth shut, seeing that there was going to be no point in arguing with Kyoya.

"You were strong enough to survive, Hagane. I'm not going to let you give up because that half-witted Doji pulled a few strings and turned you into his puppet for a while."

Gingka merely grunted and turned his head away. Whether he did so because of lack of strength or lack of interest, only he knew. No matter which was the case, Kyoya wasn't about to stop.

"You have to make those wings come back. The DNA didn't clip them, they merely tied them down."

"No… They ripped them off…" Gingka whispered.

"Then grow them back." Kyoya huffed.

"Kyoya, I really think that-" Hyoma began, but Kyoya cut him off with a fierce glare.

"Shut up and let me finish! The battle has not been lost!"

"I don't… Have wings… Anymore… They were stolen... "

"Stop lying, Hagane. I know that you can feel it." Kyoya growled. Leone pulsed in the greenette's hand. Gingka let out a startled gasp as the bey in his hand pulsed in response.

"Take your wings back." Kyoya smirked, glowing green as Ryo glowed orange, Hyoma glowed fuchsia, and Gingka glowed a dim blue.

"P-Pegasus…?" Gingka whispered, trembling slightly as the bey pulsated warmly in his hand. He let out a sharp gasp as three beams of light connected with his aura, expanding it ever so slightly. Ryo watched worriedly as Gingka's body arched slightly, his head tilting back as his eyes closed, a slight smile breaking through the tears before all fell dark and silent once more.

"G-Gingka…?" Ryo whispered.

"He sleeps… Under the guard of Pegasus." Kyoya muttered, smirking triumphantly. "This battle… Is all but won."

"We still have a long way to go." Hyoma said. "He's not recovered yet."

"The bonds are being reestablished. As soon as his body has healed, we can heal his mind." Kyoya grunted. "Until then, we tell nobody that he is alive. If word spreads too quickly, Doji may strike while we are unprepared."

"I never knew you as one to strategize, Kyoya." Ryo muttered, casting his gaze over the sleeping form of his son.

"Things change." Kyoya grunted, turning to leave. "I will return… But first I must disappear entirely. Look for me in a month."

With those words, Kyoya left. He left a pair of speechless men and a new spark of hope in a heart that had grown cold and weak. He left a pair of tattered wings that had already begun to heal. He left three freshly repaired bonds that would strengthen and repair completely over time.

Ryo shook his head slightly in amazement before turning back to his son. A slight smile of relief crossed his lips at the peaceful look on the face that had so recently been filled with pain and sorrow.

"So it begins… The true healing… The battle… What was taken will be regained. What was shattered will be rebuilt. What was lost… Will be won."


	11. Dead Man: Falling Inside the Black

** I'm back with another chapter! Woohoo! Anyway, title for this chapter is "Dead Man: Falling Inside the Black." Two songs combined, obviously. Dead Man by We As Human and Falling Inside the Black by Skillet. Enjoy!**

**Gingka: Not so fast. You have an announcement to make that's bigger than anything you've ever written, remember?**

**Me:-sheepishly- Oh yeah... Here goes. **

**Back in June, while I was still writing Stormflight: The Final Battle, I put an AN on one of my chapters saying that one of my best friends, Jesusseeker1, had died. Well, a few days ago, she messaged me. And by 'she messaged me' I don't mean someone else using her account messaged me. I mean her, literally her. As it turns out, she didn't die, she just went into a coma, and her family told everyone that she had died. So... Seeker's back, at full health, and, for anyone who hadn't yet noticed, she updated her story Captured yesterday. For those confused by that, I suppose I just explained it. There's only one way to explain why she's alive, and that is that God gave her back to us. You may not believe in God, but I do, and that is the only possible way that that happened. He worked it out so that she was able to come back, and come back to stay, hopefully. Welcome back Seeker-chan, and praise the Lord! Now you can enjoy the chapter. ;)**

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><p>The entire world was in mourning. Everyone had been shocked at the apparent whirlwind change right before Gingka's sudden, terrible death. Of course, some had found themselves beginning to hate the redhead for his unexplained change in alliance. Still, even those who had booed at the redhead were of the opinion that he should not have had to die, not in the way that he apparently had. There had still been no word from or about Kyoya or Ryo, both having disappeared directly after the tournament's end and Doji's dramatic appearance.<p>

Madoka, working in the B-Pit and trying desperately to face each day, found herself crying at each spare moment. She heavily regretted the words she had said to Gingka. Her anger had caught up with her and exploded, as it usually did, and she had not meant to say much of what she had said. Despite what she had told Gingka, she still loved him. Now, her heart was breaking, bit by bit. If only she had known that he was just trying to protect her and the others, she could have supported him, rather than yelling at him and further causing him to crumble. The sound of his scream still rang in her ears, the sound he had made when he had finally snapped under the pressure. Despite her efforts to keep them out of her mind, images of a bloody, dead Gingka kept popping up in her mind. When she was alone, they flooded her brain and left her trembling and weeping violently.

Maru watched her mentor as the young woman wept. She wanted to comfort the brunette, but she didn't know how. Zero and the others noticed the young mechanic grow more and more silent around them, her usual cheery attitude subdued. All attempts at conversation within the group eventually ceased completely. They were often together, although silence reigned in their minds and sorrow in their hearts. None of them, save Zero, had ever actually met the Legendary Blader beforehand, but they had all looked up to him before the DNA incident. Practically every blader in the world, save his enemies, had looked up to Gingka in some way, most of them setting him as their goal. In every tournament, he had been the one to beat. After he had disappeared from the public eye, the world had waited for him to come back, while bladers trained hard to surpass him.

To the entire world, Gingka Hagane was dead. He was merely a legend who had started as a blazing light, a shining example for everyone to follow. He had finished as a fallen, broken statue. He was still an example, but his last few days had not been shining. On the contrary, they had dimmed with each passing moment, each second longer that he had fought to keep his friends safe. But the world didn't know that. To all but those who had been closest to the Legendary Blader, Gingka was a traitor. To those who knew him best, he was still the shining light he had always been.

The only person in the entire world who didn't know what Gingka was was the redhead himself. Forced to lay on his back for the time being, the redhead had nothing to do but think. Ever so often, tears would slip from his half-closed eyes as he remembered something a friend had said, the pain he had felt when a bond snapped. He had been overconfident, proud of his strength. He had been sure that he could keep his friends safe with his power. In his self-confidence, he had forgotten that the source of his power was his friends. By the time he realized that protecting them by joining the DNA would break the bonds, it had been too late. With every snap, part of the flame was extinguished.

Doji had known exactly what he was doing. Not only had he gained a strong foothold of fear in the minds of the world, he had been able to slowly weaken Gingka. Nothing gave the evil mastermind more satisfaction than knowing that he had personally brought the Pegasus blader down. Doji had clipped Gingka's wings, bit by painful bit. Slowly, he had chained the fiery, wild spirit that had defeated him so many times. Ryuga had failed. Ziggurat and the Spiral Core had failed. Even Nemesis had failed. Those facts made Doji's victory all the more sweet. Gingka had been able to defeat all that Doji had thrown at him, but when Doji pitted the Champion against himself, there was no way Gingka could possibly win.

Doji smirked to himself slightly as he looked over a control panel filled with red buttons. Each button was marked with the name of one of Gingka's friends. Tricking the redhead had been simple. Once Baihu had tricked Gingka into a trap, Doji had merely had to make the proposal to the redhead.

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><p>-Flashback, a few weeks before-<p>

Gingka groaned as he woke up. He looked around in confusion for a few moments before narrowing his eyes and growling. "Hey!" he shouted. "Let e out of here!"

"Now, now, calm down." Doji's voice said, chuckling.

Gingka growled, trying to pull free of the bonds restraining him. "Doji! What do you want this time?!"

"Now, now, Hagane. Calm down." Doji chuckled. "I merely want to talk."

"Sure, sure." Gingka said sarcastically. "Let me go and we can talk plenty with our beys!"

"I have a proposition for you." Doji said, ignoring the redhead's sarcasm.

"As if I'd agree to do anything for you." Gingka growled. "Have you forgotten that we're enemies?"

"Oh, you'll want to listen to this." Doji chuckled, as a screen appeared in front of Gingka. The redhead narrowed his eyes as images of all of his friends from around the world appeared.

"These are live feed cameras." Doji said with a sadistic grin. Gingka bared his teeth slightly.

"So?"

"So we're close to all of them… Very close." Doji hovered a hand over one of the red buttons, marked with Madoka's name.

"With this, we could kill one of them in an instant. All I have to do is press this button, and…" Doji touched the button.

"Stop!" Gingka shouted. "Leave them alone!"

"Oh, don't worry. They'll be safe… If you agree to my demands, that is."

Gingka growled under his breath. "What demands?"

Doji chuckled evilly, making Gingka shiver slightly.

"I brought you here so that we could come to an… Agreement." Doji said.

"As if I'd agree with you." Gingka growled. "You represent everything I've fought against all these years!"

"Oh, but you will agree with me on this." Doji chuckled. "Because if you don't…" his holographic fingertips stroked a button lovingly, "Then your friends will die, one by one, while you stay here, helpless to do anything bus watch."

Gingka released a sharp gasp, then growled, his hands clenching into fists.

"I'll let you think about it." Doji chuckled. "But you'd better decide soon, or else."

Gingka looked at the ground, closing his eyes. "Fine." me muttered. "What do you want?"

An evil glint appeared in Doji's eyes as he smirked. "I want you to work with me, as if you're on my side."

Gingka's eyes and head snapped up. "What?! No way I'd ever-" he froze, tensing as Doji placed his fingers on a button.

"You get one warning." Doji said. "Either you work with me, or they die while you are forced to watch. Make your choice."

Gingka closed his eyes, falling silent for a few moments. He couldn't betray his friends… But he couldn't let Doji kill them either. These facts considered, Gingka knew that he only had one choice: To join Doji. However, doing that went against everything he had ever fought for. But perhaps… If he could find out how the DNA was going to kill his friends, and secretly take that down while working for them, then he could break away once they were safe. Gingka hid a smirk. That was what he would do. He would pretend that he was going along with Doji's plans, like the evil mastermind wanted, all while taking down the DNA from the inside. Undoubtedly, he would have to fight his friends, but he could tell them what he was doing and why. They'd understand.

"Fine… I'll do it. Just don't hurt them." Gingka grunted, feigning defeat. Oh, but he would win. He always won in the end, after all, right? Even Nemesis, the so-called God of Destruction, hadn't been able to win against him. If Nemesis couldn't beat Gingka, then neither could Doji. However, little did Gingka know at the time that the moment he agreed, Doji had already won. The moment Gingka caved, Doji's victory was secured.

-end flashback-

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><p>As he laid in bed, unable to breathe without difficulty, Gingka thought angrily that he had been a fool to think that he could have ever won. Really, Doji had won the moment Baihu's trap had worked. Had Gingka not fallen for that obvious trick, had his concern for younger bladers not gotten the better of him, Doji would not have stood a chance. As soon as he was under Doji's control, Gingka had been defeated. No matter what he had chosen in that room, he would have lost. Either way, he would have lost all of his friends, then died a slow, painful death. The thought tore a whimper from his throat, a sound that instantly woke up a wearied Ryo and brought the Phoenix to his son's side.<p>

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked gently, grabbing Gingka's free hand and clasping his own around it.

"There was no way… I could have kept this… from happening…" Gingka whispered.

"Shh. It's okay." Ryo said, stroking the blazing hair of his son.

"No… As soon as Doji.. Got me into the DNA… He had won…" Gingka moaned.

Ryo sighed. He had quickly figured out that, when Gingka got upset about what had happened, it was better just to let the younger redhead get it out.

"Even if I… Resisted… I would have still… Lost everything… And then.. Ended up like this…"Gingka whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Shh. It's okay. You did what you could. Just rest." Ryo said calmly.

"It wasn't enough…" Gingka muttered wearily.

"It was what you could do." Ryo replied. "And that in itself was rather impressive."

Gingka shook his head weakly. "No… I failed... I'm not strong… I never was…"

"Not on your own." Ryo replied.

"Doji knew that… He had control of me… They all hate me now… Madoka said so... " Gingka's voice became choked with tears.

"Shh. It's okay. You'll get the bonds you had back. You already have one." Ryo reached for the bedside table and pressed Pegasus into Gingka's hand. "You still have the ones with me, Hyoma, and Kyoya. You're not weak. It's okay."

Gingka clenched his fist around the bey. "I'm so tired of this…" He muttered.

"I know. It's going to be okay." Ryo sighed.

Gingka closed his eyes, crying himself gradually to sleep. For weeks, the redhead laid in bed, wounds being replaced by scars over time. Ryo let out a sigh of relief the moment that Isha told him that Gingka would definitely survive. However, even though wounds had healed, the scars were still there. The physical pain was gone, but the emotional pain was just as strong as ever. After the first two weeks of complaining that he wasn't strong enough, had never been strong, Gingka began hiding his thoughts. As Kyoya had promised, he returned a month after returning Pegasus.

"He needs to get up." The Leone blader said as he stood in the living room of Hyoma's house.

"He hasn't fully healed yet." Ryo said.

"He still needs to get out of that bed for a while." Kyoya growled. "I know you've been thinking the same thing. He has the strength now to be able to move, does he not?"

Ryo sighed, nodding. "But not the strength to stand, not on his own."

"Then help him. Just get him out of that room." Kyoya growled, turning and heading outside into the sunshine. The greenette froze as he stepped onto the porch, blinking in surprise.

"Madoka…?"

"Oh, hi Kyoya…" The brunette muttered. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Why are you here?" Kyoya asked slowly.

Madoka looked at the ground and sniffled. "The DNA was attacking Metal Bey City… I didn't know where else to go… And I guess my mind sorta just… Pulled me here." the brunette raised her head, eyes looking around the village, most of which was still asleep. "It didn't really change, did it…?"

Kyoya shook his head, sighing and listening to the noises inside the house behind him. Low voices, probably belonging to Gingka and Ryo, seemed to be arguing.

"I-I don't think I can bear staying here…" Madoka muttered, snapping Kyoya's attention back to her. "Because, you know... "

"Come inside." Kyoya said, his voice gentle, although he was clearly giving an order that he expected her to obey.

Madoka slowly followed the Leone blader inside, raising an eyebrow in surprise at seeing Ryo sitting in the living room, his back to her as he sat on the couch. He seemed to be looking at his lap. Kyoya walked around the couch.

"Madoka's here." he said calmly.

Ryo turned, smiling gently at the brunette even as a sharp gasp echoed in the silence following Kyoya's words. Madoka blinked in confusion, stepping slowly around the couch as Kyoya smirked at her. She gasped and clasped both hands over her mouth in surprise, trembling in surprise and shock as tears sprang to her eyes.

"G-Gingka…?" she stared at the form lying on the couch, his head in Ryo's lap. Gingka's eyes flashed in the light from the windows, filled with nothing but fear at seeing the brunette. The sight nearly broke Madoka's heart, as she took a few quick strides over before sitting down next to Ryo's feet, reaching out with a trembling hand to stroke Gingka's face. The redhead shuddered slightly at her touch, then relaxed.

"I'm sorry…" Madoka whispered. "I didn't mean it. I regretted those words right after I said them…" tears sprang to her eyes and she buried her face in the couch cushion.

Ryo and Kyoya watched Gingka, both smiling slightly as the fear in the redhead's eyes changed to a soft, gentle look that was reserved for Madoka and Madoka alone. As the brunette continued sobbing into the couch, Gingka slowly sat up, his breathing becoming uneven as he slid off the couch, wincing as he landed next to Madoka. The redhead paused for a few moments to catch his breath, then slipped his arms around Madoka, pulling her close to him. Madoka raised her head slightly, eyes wide, before she twisted in Gingka's arms and wrapped her arms around him. A worried look appeared on her face for a moment as she felt his uneven breath on her hair.

"It's okay…" Gingka muttered slowly, sniffling as tears of relief fell from his eyes. He buried his face in Madoka's hair, his weakened body shaking slightly with sobbing.

"This was what he needed…" Ryo muttered under his breath to Kyoya, who nodded. The two men turned and went outside, leaving the sobbing pair alone.

"I'm sorry…" Gingka whispered repeatedly.

"Gingka…" Madoka kissed the redhead on the cheek gently, rubbing his back to calm him down.

"It's okay. We both did things that we regretted later, that we shouldn't have done… I think we're about even. Don't worry about it."

A deep sigh of relief came from Gingka, who stopped trembling, hugging Madoka as tightly as he could without hurting himself.

"I'm just glad you're alive." Madoka whispered, burying her face in Gingka's shirt as she hugged him gently. Instinct told her that a tight hug would hurt her friend, so she held back. A gentle, warm calm fell over the two as they sat there, completely comfortable in each other's arms.

"Gingka…?"

"Hmm…?"

"Thank you for protecting us, even though it nearly cost you your life."

The redhead drew in a sharp breath. The usual retorts came to his mind, about how he had been too weak, how Doji had beaten him.

"You're welcome…" He replied after a few moments.

Madoka smiled. "Rest." she said gently, pulling out of his arms and forcing him to lie down, his head leaning against her. Gingka closed his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he forgot about what had happened. Madoka had forgiven him, and wasn't mad. She didn't hate him. Right now, to him, that was all that mattered as he drifted off to sleep.

"Rest…."

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><p><strong>-excited fangirl squeals- I love adorable GinMado moments! And now that Gingka's free from the DNA's influence, I can finally write it in!<strong>

**Gingka:-sweatdrops- You are just crazy.**

**Me: Get used to it, Hagane. I'll ship you two forever, probably. Anyway, see you guys next chapter!**


End file.
